Three prominent life history patterns attributed to dioecious species of mosses (low sex expression, male rarity, and low frequencies of sexual reproduction) were investigated in the desert moss Syntrichia caninervis along an elevation gradient in the Spring Mountains of the Mojave Desert (U.S.A.). Low elevation patches exhibited significantly lower frequencies of sex expression, individuals with fewer inflorescences, and fewer male individuals. Sexual reproduction was infrequent at all elevations, with only seven of 85 patches showing evidence of recent sporophyte production and only nine of 708 perichaetia being fertilized. After factoring out abortive sporophytes, the percentage of patches maturing sporophytes was 5.9% and the estimated fraction of fertilized perichaetia was 0.7%. In addition, as elevation increased from low to middle/high elevation, individuals of Syntrichia caninervis exhibited significant increases in biomass, total stem length, number of ramets, and ramet length. The decreased availability of water at lower elevations may stunt individual plant size, inhibiting sex expression, and promoting growth of female-only individuals, thereby depressing sexual reproduction. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that male rarity may be caused in part by differential desiccation tolerance between the sexes, with males less able to tolerate repeated cycles of hydration and desiccation due to their higher energetic requirements for sex expression.

Epiphyllous bryophytes are poorly documented for temperate eastern North America. Ten liverwort taxa and one moss species are reported as epiphylls on Rhododendron maximum from the Appalachian Plateau (Fentress County, Tennessee, and Menifee County, Kentucky). The Kentucky localities represent the northernmost documented sites for bryophyte epiphylls in eastern North America. Three North American liverwort endemics, Lejeunea ruthii, Leucolejeunea clypeata, and Radula obconica, and the moss, Platygyrium repens, are newly reported as epiphylls. Colony size ranged from <0.1 mm to 20 mm in diameter. Host plant leaf coverage of epiphylls was as high as 15%. A quantitative study at one locality showed 0% of one-year-old host leaves supported bryoepiphylls with 8.9% of two and 13.3% of three-year-old leaves supporting epiphylls. The frequency and northern limits of bryoepiphylly in eastern North America are likely well underestimated.

The North American hepatic flora includes 24 species of Lophozia distributed among five subgenera and five species of Schistochilopsis. Lophozia pacifica Bakalin is described as new to science, based on retuse leaves clearly decurrent on the dorsal side of the stem and fusiform-cylindrical perianth. Lophozia sect. Heteromorphae R. M. Schust. and L. sect. Savicziae Bakalin are synonymized with L. sect. Lophozia. Lophozia sect. Longidentatae R. M. Schust. is synonymized with Lophozia sect. Excisae R. M. Schust. New combinations are proposed: Lophozia subg. Obtusifolium (H. Buch) Bakalin comb. nov., Lophozia subg. Sudeticae (Schljakov) Bakalin comb. nov., Schistochilopsis sect. Heterogemmae (Jørg.) Bakalin comb. nov., Schistochilopsis incisa var. opacifolia (Culmann) Bakalin comb. nov.

Orthotrichum pilosissimum is described from herbarium material and recently collected specimens in the state of Nevada. Its specific epithet refers to the diagnostic hyper-developed axillary hairs, which are frequently longer than 1 mm, multiseriate and branched, covering most of the stems surface and sometimes protruding from the foliose shoots. These hairs are not only unique in the genus but also among mosses, providing a reliable diagnostic character for the new taxon. Additional gametophytic and sporophytic characters that contribute to its taxonomic delimitation are also given.

Two new species of Candelariella are described. Candelariella granuliformis is a polyspored, terricolous, small granular, blastidiate species known from arctic and alpine areas of North America and Scandinavia. Candelariella corviniscalensis, described from one locality in Colorado, is characterized by biatorine apothecia, long spores and an endolithic thallus. In addition a key to the presently recognized species in Candelariales known to occur in North America is provided.

Previous research in phosphorus-fertilized Hawaiian montane forests has demonstrated that cyanolichens respond to elevated canopy phosphorus (P) availability by increasing in abundance and diversity; a similar but more muted response is seen for chlorolichens and mosses. In this study, I ask whether P also controls cyanolichen abundance in five unfertilized Hawaiian forests, four on the island of Kauai and one on Hawaii. In three of the four Kauai sites, trees which hosted abundant cyanolichens had significantly higher foliar P content than trees with sparse cyanolichen growth. In the Hawaii site, both foliar P and bark P content were significantly higher on high-cyanolichen cover trees (0.074% vs. 0.053% for leaves, p < 0.001, and 0.085% vs. 0.035% for bark, p < 0.001). Chlorolichen and bryophyte abundance were best predicted by cyanolichen abundance at three out of four of the Kauai sites. These results suggest that host tree P content may be an important factor controlling the abundance of cyanolichens in unfertilized Hawaiian forests, and that cyanolichens may facilitate colonization by chlorolichens and mosses.

Studies of herbarium samples and field surveys in Southern California during the fall of 2008 led to the discovery of several new collections of mosses lacking exostome teeth belonging to Orthotrichum Hedw. subgenus Pulchella (Schimp.) Vitt. Some of them are ascribable to O. anodon F. Lara, Garilleti & Mazimpaka even though they display a set of characters not noticed before, considerably broadening the morphological variability of this species and making necessary an updated description. Other materials, from scattered localities along a wide latitudinal range, correspond to a here described new species, Orthotrichum mazimpakanum Garilleti & F. Lara, differentiated by a set of unambiguous characters, including almost smooth, hyaline endostomial segments and partially bistratose leaves. Both mosses are illustrated with SEM and LM photographs, and their similarities and differences are discussed.

A new combination, Pseudocrossidium adustum, is proposed for Desmatodon adustus, an Australian taxon treated in the literature as conspecific with P. hornschuchianum. The range of this species is extended to South Africa. The species is described, lectotypified, illustrated and its distribution is mapped. Diagnostic characters and distinction from P. chilense and P. hornschuchianum are given. A key to Pseudocrossidium for Australia and South Africa is provided.

Two species of the genus Colura, C. digitalis and C. tenuicornis were previously known from the West African island of São Tomé. Colura calderae known only from Bioko Island is new to São Tomé and C. thomeensis, a species new to science, is described and illustrated. A key to the four species now recognized on São Tomé is provided.

In bryophytes, rates of net photosynthesis vary among populations. How this variation is shaped by shoot biochemical or structural traits has not been established, yet would be essential to develop useful models of forest floor function in the boreal zone. The objectives of this study were to characterize functional trait relationships in the widespread feathermoss Pleurozium schreberi, to develop an empirical model to predict net photosynthesis in this species, and to compare the performance of a surface model that incorporates the shoot system's average properties with a canopy model that accounts for the vertical distribution of light and shoot area. Maximal rates of net photosynthesis (A_max) and dark respiration (R_d) were measured (n = 25) using gas exchange at optimal water contents. Shoot system concentrations of chlorophyll (a b), carotenoids and nitrogen were measured in addition to the water content, surface roughness (L_r), canopy height, and the vertical distribution of shoot area and light within the canopy. The light extinction coefficient and transmission parameters were estimated from the latter. A_max ranged from 2.20 to 7.78 µmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ with a mean value of 4.97. A linear multiple regression model using shoot area index (SAI) and chlorophyll concentration explained 55% of variation in A_max, and no other factors associated significantly with the residuals. The Monsi-Saeki canopy model was also fit to the data, which explained only 33% of variation in A_max. Residuals were related to L_r, and the full model improved to explain 53% of the variation. Given senescence and acclimation of shoots within the canopy, a more refined model will be necessary to add predictive power to the canopy model. Unlike vascular plants, the canopy models are not likely to be improved by considering the allocation of nitrogen because it does not associate with photosynthetic characteristics as it does in vascular plant leaves.

Three sorediate and four primarily fertile species of the lichen genus Hypogymnia are accepted for Chile in the present study, and only two of these correspond to species listed in current checklists. Hypogymnia antarctica, H. lugubris and H. subphysodes are considered to be common; the former has previously been poorly understood. Hypogymnia pulverata and H. bitteri are reported here as new to Chile, the latter also as new to austral areas. The former is not convincingly well separated from H. subphysodes. Hypogymnia enteromorphoides and H. solidepedicellata are also accepted here, based on literature reports, whereas six species reported rather recently from southern South America are not accepted here for this area. Sorediate species are much more widely distributed than primarily fertile ones, not only in the present study area, but also on a global scale. Vittatolic, 2'-O-methylphysodic, and 3-hydroxyphysodic acids were found to be reliable differential compounds between some of the species studied. The superficially similar genera Hypogymnia and Menegazzia are of strong biogeographical interest, as they show parallel distribution patterns, although they have probably originated in different hemispheres.

A new species in the lichen genera Graphis Adans., G. paradussii Z.F. Jia is described from Hainan Province, southern China. It is characterized by prominent to sessile lirellae with thalline margin, laterally carbonized exciple, 8 transversely septate ascospores per ascus and presence of norstictic and salazinc acid.

We inferred phylogenetic relationships using Bayesian and maximum likelihood approaches for two genera of lichenized fungi, Hypogymnia and Cavernularia (Parmeliaceae). Based on the combined ITS and GPD1 dataset from 23 species (49 specimens) of Hypogymnia and two species (8 specimens) of Cavernularia, we conclude that Hypogymnia is paraphyletic, and that it should include Cavernularia to retain its monophyly. Hypogymnia hultenii ( =  Cavernularia hultenii) and H. lophyrea ( =  C. lophyrea) are accepted here. Five species of Hypogymnia represented by more than a single individual were found to be monophyletic and significantly supported. The phylogeny reflects a statistically significant biogeographic pattern where continental-scale endemic taxa tend to occur within the same phylogenetic group. Sorediate taxa, which have worldwide or broader geographical ranges than affiliated species lacking soredia, are spread across the phylogenetic tree. Hypogymnia contains three species pairs: H. krogiae and the sorediate counterpart H. incurvoides, H. minilobata and the sorediate H. mollis, and H. lophyrea and the sorediate H. hultenii. In the case of H. minilobata, both members of the pair are restricted to a small area in southern California. In the other two cases, the fertile counterpart occurs only in North America, while the sorediate species occurs in both North America and Fennoscandia. This suggests but not proves an origin of each species pair in North America, with migration of the sorediate member to Fennoscandia following the prevailing wind direction.

Henry Imshaug, a noted North American lichenologist, died in November of 2010 at the age of 85. He spent his career at Michigan State University and was best known for his work on the genus Buellia, his enormous and important collections from the Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes region, West Indies and subantarctic islands together with his studies of those collections, and for his mentoring of a number of successful students in lichenology and bryology.