ON THE GENUS HEDWIGIA ( HEDWIGIACEAE , BRYOPHYTA ) IN RUSSIA К ТАКСОНОМИИ РОДА

A new species from Asian Russia, Hedwigia kuzenevae sp. nova, is described based on integrative molecular and morphological study. It is similar to the recently described H. czernyadjevae in plant habit, highly recurved leaf margins and hair-point structure, but differs in multipapillose leaf cells. The latter character, as well as leaf margins recurved to the hair-point, correspond to H. ciliata; however, its hair-points are shorter, less strongly papillose, especially in distal part, and leaves are falcate-secund, contrary to the straight leaves of H. kuzenevae. Distribution area of H. kuzenevae includes Transbaikalia and Tukuringra Range in Amurskyaya Province; it is also known from few localities in Yakutia and Krasnoyarsk Territory. It often grows in areas with calcareous bedrocks. Another taxon, H. emodica var. echinata var. nova, is described from Asian Russia. It differs from the type variety in falcate-secund leaves and slightly shorter hair-points with sharply dentate margins and dorsal surface of hair-points covered with high, dense, branched spinulae. These morphological differences make these taxa quite distinct, though they are not separated from each other by nuclear ITS1-2 DNA marker, contrary to other taxa within Hedwigia. According to the DNA sequence data, Hedwigia mollis is also closely related to H. emodica, but it is better separated and likely deserves species status. It shares some morphological features with both varietes of H. emodica, but differs from both of them by shorter hair-points with sligtly papillose distal portion. Hedwigia emodica var. emodica has a widest distribution area throughout Russia, while H. mollis is mainly Eiuropean species and distribution of H. emodica var. echinata is restricted to the south of Russian Far East and Transbaikalia.