KRAYESKY, DAVID M. Department of Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901-6509. - A Revision of the Genus Fossombronia Raddi in north and east Asia, Oceania, the Malay Archipelago, and New Zealand.
Since 1886 twenty-six taxa of Fossombronia Raddi have been
reported from northern and eastern Asia, Oceania, the Malay
Archipelago, and New Zealand. Of these, sixteen were named as new
taxa. Although several regional studies have been published, no
detailed systematic study of these taxa has ever been undertaken. I
have conducted a comprehensive study of the gametophyte and sporophyte
characters of all the taxa reported from the region to determine the
true diversity of the genus in the study area. My study of type
specimens was complemented with extensive collections of
Fossombronia from the major herbarium of the region. This
study showed that gametophyte characters, such as, oil body and
pseudoperianth morphology, gametangia arrangement, thallus branching
habit, and thallus color are systematically important characters that
were ignored by earlier workers. Examining all characters of both
generations, I conclude that there are only twelve taxa represented in
the study area. Of these taxa, species such as F. cristula
Austin, F. foveolata Lindb., F. pusilla L., F.
wondraczekii (Corda) Dumort. ex Lindb., and F.loitesbergii
Shiffn. have a wide distribution, being reported from several
continents throughout the world. In contrast, the remaining seven
species, F. microspora Herzog, F.reticulata Steph.,
F. kashyapii Srivastava et Udar, F. intestinalis Taylor,
F.papillata Steph., and two species new to science, have very
narrow distributions, being reported from but one or two continents.
Key words: Asia, Fossombronia, Malay Archipelago, New Zealand, Oceania, revision