New bryophyte records from the Mediterranean region of Chile Larraín, Juan Cano, María J. Jiménez, Juan A. Cryptogamie, Bryologie 2020 2020-07-28 20 11 131 140 (Hornsch.) R. H. Zander R. H. Zander Hornsch. [208,699,215,242] Magnoliopsida Verbenaceae Tortula Plantae Lamiales 8 137 Tracheophyta species splachnoides    REMARKS This taxon has cleistocarpic capsules, sometimes dehiscing by an irregular circumferential line around the middle of the urn, with large stomata on the urn base, and spores 30-35 µm in diameter, finely verrucose. The leaves are concave, with entire margins, distal laminal cells irregular-quadrate, smooth, sometimes minutely papillose, proximal laminal cells larger and hyaline, smooth, nerve variable from leaf to leaf, subpercurrent to percurrent, in cross section without guide cells, with two large ventral surface cells, and a central group of substereids disposed in 2(3) rows at midleaf, and more or less differentiated dorsally. This taxon belongs to  Tortulasect. Schizophascum(Müll.Hal.) R.H.Zander, a small section of the genus with three known taxa characterized by plants living close to the sea, leaves with costal section lacking guide cells and with stereid band more or less centrally arranged, and cleistocarpous capsules often dehiscing by irregular circumferential lines ( Zander 1993). This section has a Southern Hemispheric distribution, previously known only from South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, and now also from southern South America. The three taxa currently accepted in the group (  Tortula splachnoides,  T. willisianaR.H.Zander, and  T. maritima(R.Br.bis) R.H.Zander) are all regarded as highly variable ( Magill 1981; Zander 1993), and it has been suggested these three taxa might correspond to extreme expressions of a single, variable taxon ( Magill 1981). We studied a syntypeof  Dendia maritimaR.Br.bis (NY936236!), collected by Robert Brown in Godley Heads, close to Christchurch, New Zealand. The plants are identical to the material from Chileregarding leaf shape, the thin cell walls, and smooth leaf cells, however spore size is a bit larger in the New Zealandplants (up to 40 µm in diameter), and the leaf costa in cross section has more strongly developed surface cells dorsally. This latter character seems to be variable judging by the illustrations in Zander (1993, cf. plate 88: 5), where the dorsal surface cells of the costa are not so strongly differentiated. In this later character, the Chilean plants are much more similar to the South African  Tortula splachnoidesHornsch.as illustrated by Magill (1981: 208). The type specimen of  Phascum splachnoidesHornsch.at NY (NY 1448642!, NY1448643!) correspond to a single plant in a pauper condition and a microscope slide. We could not find cross sections in the prepared slide, and the poor material did not allow further dissection. But it is evident that the leaf shape and mostly smooth leaf surface, match perfectly with the material recently found in Chile. We could not find in NY the type material of  Phascum drummondiiWilson(synonym of  Tortula willisianaR.H.Zander) mentioned by Zander (1993). Although the illustrations of the type of this name provided by Wilson (1848table I, A) do not show the leaf cross sections, the general shape of the plants and leaves suggest this name could also be a synonym of  T. splachnoidesand the differences be part of the variability of this interesting taxon. In conclusion, the studied specimens and the descriptions and illustrations available clearly confirm these names refer to very closely related taxa (if not one species). However, as already Magill (1981)and Zander (1993)have stated, more material from the complete geographic range of these species are needed to be able to properly study the observed morphological variability. A deeper morphological study of  Tortulasect. Schizophascumis needed. Meanwhile, we use the older name available within the group for the Chilean populations. A complete description and illustrations of this species are given by Magill (1981).