Phlegmariurus: Taxonomy, Distribution, and Morphological Features

There are about 250 species of Phlegmariurus, which are found in tropical and subtropical mountain forests south of the Yangtze River. In China, there are 21 species divided into four sections. The life form of Phlegmariurus can be an obligate epiphyte, facultative epiphyte, lithophyte, or terrestrial. The combination of branching patterns, leaf shapes, whether Sporophyll and trophophyll are dimorphic or not, and the arrangement of leaves are effective in distinguishing sections/species within Phlegmariurus.