GENERA OF THE POTTIACEAE: MOSSES OF HARSH ENVIRONMENTS
by RICHARD H. ZANDER illustrated by PATRICIA M. ECKEL
This information comes from a 378-page volume that deals with the genera of the largest family of the mosses. It reflects 23 years of the author's specialization in the taxonomy of a group typically adapted to arid, ruderal, hygric, and Arctic-alpine environments worldwide, and is illustrated by P. M. Eckel with 113 superb plates. The family's 85 genera are reduced to 76 with new constructs in the Tortula-Desmatodon-Pottia complex reflecting an emphasis on gametophyte characters. Included are four new subfamilies, four new tribes, two new genera, two new subgenera, two new sections, and one new variety. There are also 37 new names for taxa and 317 new combinations. The number of recognized taxa listed is seven subfamilies, six tribes, 76 genera, 1457 species, 31 subspecies, 536 varieties, 339 formae and seven subformae. A cladistic study provided the basis for a new suprageneric classification. It resulted in fine resolution of relationships, a single hypothetical tree, recognition of several monotypic genera ancient groups, and indication that elements of the Pottiaceae are rather primitive mosses, related to Ptychomitrium, Timmia and Polytrichum. The book includes treatments of taxonomic characters, technique, practical identification, evolutionary relationships, keys to suprageneric taxa and to the genera, nomenclatural summaries and taxonomic descriptions of the subfamilies, tribes and genera, excluded taxa, listing of species and infraspecies with recent synonymy, an extensive bibliography and glossary. Because of the new ground broken in re-evaluation of a large, taxonomically difficult group with the aid of cladistic analysis, and for the complete keys and extensive discussion and illustration of tropical and austral genera not treated in detail elsewhere, Genera of the Pottiaceae would be a valuable addition to the libraries of bryologists and ecologists.
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click on "Bryophytes." GENERA OF THE POTTIACEAE: MOSSES OF HARSH ENVIRONMENTS
Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Vol. 32: vi + 378 pp., 113 pls. 1993. Cloth, 8.5 by 11-inch format.