Abstract Detail

Systematics Section / ASPT

Fisher, Kirsten [1].

Monography in a rank-free world: a practical example from the moss clade Leucophanella..

Monographs remain a critical and indispensable component of systematics, however, traditional monographic practices require some revisions if modern monographs are to truly reflect and incorporate phylogenetic understanding. Here I present a cladistically based rank-free monograph of Leucophanella, a complex of closely related lineages in the moss clade Syrrhopodon. I will summarize the methods I used to address issues relating to sampling and the formation of OTUs for this monograph, and emphasize the importance of carefully considering the incorporation of terminal lineages from the earliest stages of a cladistic monograph. Leucophanella has been subjected to successive bouts of fervent taxonomic splitting and lumping, chronicled in the proliferation of species names synonymized under S. involutus by Mohamed and Reese (1985). This monographic treatment recognizes five distinct lineages in the Leucophanella clade: Banksii, Borneensis, Involutus, Rufescens, and Revolutus. To date, the treatment of terminal taxa (the “species” rank) remains a pivotal yet unresolved issue in the drafting of the PhyloCode. Following the PhyloCode recommendations for the designation and naming of more inclusive taxa, I have named terminal taxa with an italicized uninomial, and have provided stem-based definitions with two internal and one external specifier. The internal specifiers for the stem-based phylogenetic definitions of taxa are chosen to maximize geographic breadth, and whenever possible current type specimens are designated as specifiers. The rank-free treatment of terminal taxa provides a logically consistent and truly practical taxonomy for all purposes, including biodiversity inventories and conservation.

1 - University of California, Berkeley, Integrative Biology, University and Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, California, 94720-2465, USA

Keywords:
rank-free classification
monography
Phylocode
Bryophytes.

Presentation Type: Paper
Session: 59-1
Location: Cottonwood A (Snowbird Center)
Date: Wednesday, August 4th, 2004
Time: 1:45 PM
Abstract ID:769