The taxonomic status of Campylopus pilifer subsp. vaporarius and its relationships within Campylopus Brid. (Dicranaceae, Bryophyta)

In the present paper we investigated the taxonomic status of Campylopus pilifer subsp. vaporarius and its relationships within Campylopus by using ITS and trnL sequence, as well as morphological analysis. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed a molecular similarity between C. pilifer and C. introflexus, as well as a molecular differentiation between samples of C. pilifer from the Old and the New World. Despite a noticeable variability in ITS sequences, mostly reflecting the taxonomic relationships within this moss genus, the results indicate that C. pilifer subsp. vaporarius is nested within the closely related species C. pilifer; moreover, both taxa show identical sequence of the trnL region. Nevertheless, the morphological characters and the peculiar ecology distinguish C. pilifer subsp. vaporarius from the other C. pilifer taxa. Thus, based on the results of both molecular and morphological analysis, C. pilifer subsp. vaporarius is reassessed at level of variety.