Molecular phylogeny of the Sematophyllaceae (Hypnales, Musci) based on chloroplast rbcL sequences

Circumscription of the family Sematophyllaceae is controversial, and taxono mic position of the genera Brotherella, Trismegistia, Wijkia and its allies has been repeatedly discussed and is still fluctuating. A phylogenetic stu dy was carried out to investigate the phylogenetic position of the genera B rotherella, Trismegistia, Wijkia and their allies inferred from the chlorop last ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (rbcL) g ene data. The relationships between 40 species representing the Sematophyll aceae and related taxa are evaluated based on the rbcL data set using the f ollowing methods: neighbor-joining (NJ), minimum-evolution (ME), maximum-pa rsimony (MP) and maximum-likelihood (ML) methods. The results of the presen t study suggest that (1) the family Sematophyllaceae (s. lat.) are monophyl etic; (2) the genera Wijkia, Trismegistia and Acanthorrhynchium do not form a single clade; and (3) the genera Brotherella, Pylaisiadelpha, Heterophyl lium, Isocladiella, and some species treated as members of the Hypnaceae, s uch as Hypnum tristo-viride or Isopterygium tenerum should be placed in the Sematophyllaceae (s. lat.). Our research shows that the Sematophyllaceae ( sensu Hedenas & Buck 1999) are not monophyletic. Since the monophyly of the Sematophyllaceae (s. lat.) including Brotherella and its allies is well su pported, we propose here that we could treat the family in a wider sense. F urthermore, the present study suggests that Entodontaceae (s. str.) are res olved as a monophyletic group, and should be placed in a clade sister to th e Sematophyllaceae (s. lat.). The results show the necessity to reconsider the familial circumscription of the Sematophyllaceae and the Hypnaceae.