Studies in the liverwort family Aneuraceae (Metzgeriales) from southern Africa. 1. The genus Aneura and its local representative

Abstract

This is the first of several projected articles dealing with the southern African Aneuraceae H.Klinggr. The family is cosmopolitan and comprises two subfamilies, only one of which, the Aneuroideae, with two genera, Aneura Dumort. and Riccardia Gray, occurs locally. Because of the taxonomic problems associated with this family and the scarcity of fruiting material, only one taxon in the genus Aneura, A. pinguis (L.) Dumort., has so far been accepted in this treatment. This is not meant to imply, however, that A. pseudopinguis Herzog does not occur in southern Africa; only, that the specimens I have examined, all belong to A. pinguis. A description and illustrations of A. pinguis, together with a distribution map are provided.