The Bromeliaceae tank dweller Bromeliophila (Lejeuneaceae, Porellales) is a member of the Cyclolejeunea-Prionolejeunea clade

Abstract

The Neotropical genus Bromeliophila includes two species that grow exclusively in the water-filled leaf axils of Bromeliaceae. Phylogenetic analyses of a three marker dataset (chloroplast genome rbcL gene and trnL-F region, and nuclear ribosomal ITS1-5.8S-ITS-2 region) confirmed the monophyly of Bromeliophila and provided evidence for a sister relationship of Bromeliophila and Prionolejeunea; this clade is in turn sister to Cyclolejeunea. Despite remarkable morphological similarities, Bromeliophila is not closely related to Lejeunea and its close relatives Harpalejeunea and Microlejeunea. Based on the molecular topology and morphological evidence, Cyclolejeunea is subdivided in subgenus Cyclolejeunea and the monospecific subgenera Hyalolejeunea and Nephrolejeunea. Genetic relationships among multiple accessions of the same species support currently accepted morphological-typological species concepts.