Noteworthy Bryophyte Disjunctions in the Southern Mountains of Virginia

Abstract

Three liverworts and two mosses are reported new to Virginia based on specimens collected in Giles, Patrick, Smyth, and Scott counties from 2016 to 2022. Of these taxa, Acrobolbus ciliatus, Lejeunea blomquistii, Plagiochila echinata, and Blindia acuta occur in gorge habitats while Polytrichastrum appalachianum occurs in a high-elevation area. These taxa are either restricted to the Southern Appalachian region or have a disjunct distribution with occurrences concentrated in the area. Additionally, the liverworts Drepanolejeunea appalachiana and Sphenolobopsis pearsonii were rediscovered decades after their first and only reports in Virginia. With the exception of Blindia acuta, these species have a moderate to high risk of extinction according to NatureServe and the Natural Heritage network (NatureServe 2023).