Drepanocladus longifolius (Amblystegiaceae), an addition to the moss flora of King George Island, South Shetland Islands, with a review of Antarctic benthic mosses

Drepanocladus longifolius (Mitt.) Paris is recorded for the first time from King George Island, South Shetland Islands, in the maritime Antarctic. It was collected in West Lake during the 23rd Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition in 2006–2007. The moss was found at a depth of 5–6 m attached to the bed of the lake. The stems of the moss are about 1–1.5 m in length. The moss exhibits seasonal growth patterns, with shorter branch internodes, more widely spaced leaves and more branches in summer than in winter. Most of the branches are initiated in summer. The annual shoot extension is about 3–6 cm, which implies that the plants must be at least 15 years of age. The distribution of aquatic moss species and records in Antarctica is outlined and discussed and the nomenclature of previous reports clarified.