Phlegmariurus: Taxonomy, Morphology, and Distribution in China

There are approximately 250 species of Phlegmariurus, found in tropical and subtropical mountain forests south of the Yangtze River. In China, there are 21 species belonging to four different sections. The life form of Phlegmariurus can vary, with some species being obligate epiphytes, facultative epiphytes, lithophytes, or terrestrial plants.

The combination of several characteristics, such as the number of times the plant branches dichotomously, leaf shapes, the presence or absence of dimorphism in Sporophyll and trophophyll, and the arrangement of leaves, is an effective method for distinguishing between sections and species within the Phlegmariurus genus.