The mosses (Bryophyta) of Capitán Prat Province, Aisén Region, southern Chile

Abstract The bryophytes of Capitán Prat province have remained one of the least explored in Chile. The eventual construction of several dams on the rivers Baker and Pascua required prospection of all groups of organisms including bryophytes, work that was facilitated by the recent construction of vehicular roads that now offer easy access to previously almost unaccessible locations. The results of intense bryophyte collecting during the austral summer of 2007 are here presented. A total of 260 moss taxa are reported for the province, corresponding to 256 species and four infraspecific taxa, of which 211 are new records for the province, 54 are new for Aisén Region, and two are new records for continental Chile (Pohlia longicollis (Hedw.) Lindb. and Rigodium toxarion var. robustum (Broth.) Zomlefer). Twelve species extend their known distribution ranges to the north, whereas 49 extend them to the south.


Dicranella pseudorufescens Cardot & Broth.
On humid soil on trails or trail banks inside Nothofagus dombeyi-Drimys winteri-Podocarpus nubigena forests; alt. 50-90 m a.s.l.; rare in the studied area. Distribution: a Chilean endemic taxon previously known from just two collections from one single locality at Isla Riesco, Magallanes Province (Larraín et al. 2010), so these records represent an extension in the northen distribution limit of the species. Exsiccata: Río Bravo (JL 26971B), Lago Quetru (JL 27776). Notes: new to Capitán Prat and to Aisén Region. This is the second reported locality for the species after its original description by Cardot and Brotherus (1923).

Dicranoloma billardieri (Brid.) Paris
On peaty soil at the margins of peatlands or swamps, on soil on the forest floor or seldom epiphytic on Weinmannia-Nothofagus-Podocarpus forests; alt. 5-70 m a.s.l.; common in the studied area. Distribution: a south-temperate species native to the Falkland Islands (Matteri 2003), southern South America, Australia, New Zealand, eastern Africa, Madagascar, and sub-Antarctic islands (Klazenga 2003), distributed in Chile from Valparaíso to Tierra del Fuego, as well as in Juan Fernandez (Müller 2009a Dicranoloma perremotifolium (Dusén) Broth. On fallen log in a river, very wet habitat; alt. 50 m a.s.l.; rare in the studied area. Distribution: a Chilean endemic taxon distributed between Bío-Bío and Aisén provinces (Müller 2009a), so this record represents an extension in the southern distribution limit of the species. Exsiccata: Lago Quetru (JL 27782). Notes: new to Capitán Prat. This taxon is very close to D. robustum, but differs from it by the thinner stems, the narrower and much longer and patent leaves, which are widely spaced along stems, forming very loose and big mats often pendent from tree trunks. It might be a synonym of D. robustum, but it is here retained as a different taxon until the genus is revised in the area as a whole.  On soil either inside Nothofagus or other evergreen forests or in exposed sites, often in road banks; alt. 20-210 m a.s.l.; relatively common in the studied area. Distribution: a southern South American endemic species (Frahm 1983;Suárez and Schiavone 2009)

Campylopus acuminatus Mitt.
On humid soil or submerged in tundras and peatlands; alt. 20-90 m a.s.l.; rare in the studied area. Distribution: a south-temperate species distributed in southern South America, New Zealand, southern Australia and Tasmania (Frahm 1988(Frahm , 1994

Campylopus vesticaulis Mitt.
On peaty soil in peatlands, seldom on rocks in exposed sites; alt. 50-90 m a.s.l.; relatively common in the studied area. Distribution: a south-temperate species known from southern South America, the Falkland Is., Tristan da Cunha, Marion Is., New Zealand and the South Sandwich Is. in the maritime Antarctic (Ochyra et al.

Syntrichia fragilis (Taylor) Ochyra
On rocks and soil in dry steppe to sub-steppe habitats; alt. 160-670 m a.s.l.; common in steppes of the studied area, rare elsewhere. Distribution: a sub-cosmopolitan species widely distributed throughout the Americas, Africa, Macaronesia, Europe and southern Asia (Gallego 2005), previously known in Chile from a few collections in the north and central parts of the country, between Parinacota and Valparaíso provinces (Müller 2009a), so this record represents a considerable extension in the southern distribution limit of the taxon. Exsiccata: Playa Vidal at Lago Cochrane (JL 26667B + Zygodon hookeri var. hookeri), Estancia Chacabuco (JL 26932, JL 26934, JL 26958). Notes: new to Capitán Prat and to Aisén Region.

Syntrichia scabrella (Dusén) R.H.Zander
On soil inside evergreen Nothofagus dombeyi forest; alt. 100 m a.s.l.; rare in the studied area. Distribution: a Chilean endemic taxon previously known only from central Chile between Colchagua and Concepción provinces (Dusén 1906;Müller 2009a), so the present record represents a significative extension of its distribution limit to the south. Exsiccata: road between Cochrane and Tortel (JL 26430). Notes: new to Capitán Prat, to Aisén Region, and to Patagonia.
Tortella knightii (Mitt.) Broth. On soil inside Nothofagus dombeyi evergreen forest; alt. 340 m a.s.l.; extremely rare in the studied area. Distribution: a south-temperate species present in Tierra del Fuego, New Zealand, Tasmania, and SE Australia (Eckel 1997), previously known in southern Chile only from Antártica Chilena Province (Müller 2009a;Eckel 1997), so this record represents an extension of its northern distribution limit in South America. Exsiccata: Lago Chacabuco (JL 27731B + Cratoneuropsis relaxa subsp. minor). Notes: new to Capitán Prat and to Aisén Region.
Tortula atrovirens (Sm.) Lindb. On dry soil in steppe with dominant Mulinum spinosum; alt. 400 m a.s.l.; rare in the studied area. Distribution: a sub-cosmopolitan species known from Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, North America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand (Cano and Gallego 2008), previously reported in Chile only from the north and central zone, between Antofagasta and Talca provinces (Müller 2009a), so this record represents a considerable extension of its southernmost distribution limit. Exsiccata: Estancia Chacabuco (JL 26932). Notes: new to Capitán Prat, to Aisén Region, and to Patagonia.