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The epiphyllous habit in the hepatic genus Frullania

Abstract

We report for the first time 11 species of Frullania growing as epiphylls in New Zealand, New Caledonia, and Colombia . Also listed are 29 Frullania species that have previously been recorded growing as epiphylls in other regions of the world. The highest diversity of Frullania epiphyllous species are in the floristic regions of New Zealand, New Caledonia, Macraonesia, and Madagascar. Frullania epiphylls range in altitude from sea-level to 2500m and can be categorised into facultative or accidental epiphylls. The number of Frullania species currently recorded growing as epiphylls will no doubt increase as more revisions of the genus in different floristic regions take place. This number may also increase if botanists were to explore leaf surfaces as a potential substrate for Frullania species, in addition to bark and rock habitats that have traditionally been described as microhabitats for the genus

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