Phlegmariurus: Taxonomy, Distribution, and Morphological Features

Phlegmariurus is a genus of approximately 250 species distributed in the tropics, with some extending to subtropical mountain forests located south of the Yangtze River. Within China, there are 21 species classified into four sections. Phlegmariurus can exhibit different life forms, including obligate epiphytes, facultative epiphytes, lithophytes, or terrestrals. The combination of characteristics such as branching patterns, leaf shapes, dimorphism of Sporophyll and trophophyll, and leaf arrangement is crucial for distinguishing between sections and species within Phlegmariurus.