On two East Asian species of Brachythecium (Brachytheciaceae, Musci)

Brachythecium auriculatum A. Jaeger was synonymized with Palamocladium leskeoides by Hoffman (1998). The present study shows their independence. Brachythecium complanatum Broth. is reported from Japan for the first time; this species was confused before with the superficially similar B. garovaglioides (=B. wichurae). Descriptions and illustrations of both species are provided. Japanese species of Brachytheciaceae were carefully revised by Takaki (1955a,b; 1956), and later the taxonomic concepts of Takaki were followed by Noguchi (1991) with relatively minor changes. In the course of study of Brachythecium species of Asia we found new data which are important for understanding two of the species occurring in Japan.