Reclaiming Alberta's oil sands landscape has many challenges including designing and engineering totally new landscapes, as well as developing unique plant establishment regimes. Fens are a particular concern as no one has attempted to create minerogenous peat-forming wetlands. Key to the success of these peat-forming wetlands is the establishment of a ground layer of bryophytes. We surveyed Syncrude's 17 ha constructed wetland (Sandhill Fen) two years after wet-up for the occurrence of bryophytes, none of which were purposefully introduced. Twenty-one species, including 15 species of natural rich fens were found, along with five ruderal species. Species patterning was framed along a species richness gradient, suggesting that some plots were better than others for establishment. Spatial patterning of the species-rich plots was scattered within the fen with no discernible pattern. By far the most prevalent fen species was Ptychostomum pseudotriquetrum. Seasonally submerged sites had no bryophyte establishment. Here we demonstrate that given a suitable substrate and environmental conditions, bryophytes can establish from indigenous sources and at present, after two growing seasons, numerous key species are present, but not in large abundances.

Parmotrema internexum is shown to be a morphologically, chemically and phylogenetically distinct species whose occurrence in North America has been previously overlooked and largely based on misidentifications. Prior accounts of the species being similar to P. crinitum but differing in having an adnate thallus, few marginal cilia, and in producing norlobaridone in addition to the stictic acid complex, are confirmed. An extensive review of the taxon, including the use of the name P. internexum in the literature, is provided. Taxonomic treatments of P. crinitum and P. internexum are also provided and both species are illustrated.

Lecanora layana is described as new to science based on collections from throughout temperate eastern North America. The species is sorediate and both morphologically and chemically similar to L. nothocaesiella, differing in the production of stictic acid in addition to atranorin and zeorin. As apothecia are unknown in L. layana, the hypothesized generic placement and relationship with L. nothocaesiella were confirmed with molecular phylogenetic analyses of mtSSU sequence data.

Two new species are described from vouchers collected as part of an intensive lichen inventory of Fox Hills Sandstone outcrops in an open space preserve within the city limits of Boulder, Colorado. Candelariella clarkii is characterized by its cryptolecanorine apothecia, chartreuse areolate thallus, and 8-spored asci. Lecidea hoganii is a member of the L. auriculata morphological group characterized by a thick white chalky thallus, pink pigments in the hymenium, and absence of secondary compounds. We provide IUCN conservation assessments for both new species, which should be considered critically endangered. The discovery of two species new to science in a relatively densely populated region of North America illustrates the ecological relevance of small of patches of native habitat, which are certain to become even more important in the future.

The phylogenetic position of the monotypic genus Bulborrhizina is studied using molecular data from three loci (mtSSU, nuLSU and ITS) aligned with sequences from 95 other samples of parmelioid lichens. Bulborrhizina africana clusters within the predominantly paleotropical Bulbothrix ‘clade II’ with strong support. However, its relationships within this clade remain uncertain. The morphological characters used to circumscribe Bulborrhizina are interpreted as adaptations to the habitat of this species in semi-arid regions of eastern Africa. A formal synonymy of the genus Bulborrhizina with either Bulbothrix or Parmelinella is postponed until sequences of the type species of Bulbothrix become available that will allow us to identify which of the two clades of species currently placed in Bulbothrix represents Bulbothrix s.str.

Three species of lichen-forming fungi in the Gomphillaceae (Ostropales, Ascomycota) are described as new to science: Gyalideopsis sessile, Echinoplaca basalis and Tricharia duotela. The lichens were found on palm leaves in remnants of native vegetation on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University and at two other conserved sites in southwest Florida.

During a revision of the Thuidiaceae for Brazil, we found a new species of Thuidium endemic to Brazil. It occurs in the south, southeast and midwest regions of the country, in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado regions, and is considered near threatened. Thuidium bifidum is mainly characterized by bifid papillae and short-celled paraphyllia. Details of its morphological characters are illustrated and the geographical distribution mapped. A key to the species of Thuidium in Brazil is also provided.

The thallus anatomies of three common species of Canoparmelia and three species of Crespoa were compared to establish the characteristics that inform taxonomic studies and support distinctions between the two genera. Samples were processed using protocols developed for both morphological and anatomical studies. The anatomical studies revealed significant differences in the cortex and algal layer, supporting the distinction between Canoparmelia and Crespoa. The medullar arrangement in two strata found in Canoparmelia texana and Crespoa scrobicularis also proved to be an important distinctive characteristic for these species. Moreover, this study showed that the characteristics of the upper and lower cortex support the recent combination of Canoparmelia scrobicularis in Crespoa.

The previously undescribed sporophyte of Leucobryum boivinianum [≡ Cardotia boiviniana] has inclined, weakly curved (but nearly symmetric), ovoid capsules that are lightly ribbed when dry and strumose. The 16, bifid peristome teeth are vertically striolate on the outer (dorsal) lamellae surface, and papillose on the inner (ventral) lamellae surface, with thick trabeculae. These sporophyte features add support to the synonymy of Cardotia with Leucobryum; the two names had been previously considered synonyms based on gametophyte characters alone. The peristome of L. boivinianum differs from other Leucobryum species in its paler color, less prominent striae, and thicker, crowded, brownish yellow trabeculae.

Physcomitrium pyriforme (Funariaceae) is a monoicous moss with the potential for producing sporophytes either via outcrossing or intra-gametophytic self-fertilization. A core set of microsatellite markers was identified for use in population genetic studies of this species, and employed to ascertain its mating patterns. An initial collection of 88 sporophytes gathered from widely separated locations in a meadow in central Ohio, U.S.A. was screened for genetic uniformity based on trnL-F DNA sequences, and found to display considerable heterogeneity. Fifty-three members of the largest clearly defined clade were selected for genotyping at 6 variable microsatellite loci having expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.11 to 0.70. Fifty-two individuals (98.2%) were homozygous at all 6 loci, strongly indicative of self-fertilization. Only one individual (1.8%) appeared to be an outcrossed sporophyte, being heterozygous at 4 loci. Twenty-three samples that constituted a second well-marked clade displayed complex microsatellite genotypes strongly suggestive of a polyploid cytotype that, although not readily amenable to further analysis, is also not inconsistent with the predominantly selfing mating pattern exhibited by the 53 others. Male and female branches within gametophyte stems were observed to develop simultaneously or nearly so, and in 4 dense moss clusters within which samples of 8 gametophytes were genotyped, all 8 were found to be identical within each cluster. These results indicate that the overall mating pattern is predominantly selfing, and suggest that the species reproduces principally in what is, in effect, a clonal fashion, via the union of genetically identical gametes. This may be occurring both within and between gametophytes.