Biogeography of the subfamily Bryoideae (Bryaceae, Musci) in north-eastern Queensland

Abstract

The biogeography of Bryum and its relatives in the tropical and subtropical regions of north-eastern Queensland is analysed. The flora is small compared to other tropical areas, with six genera and 30 species. This low diversity results from the lack of high mountains in the study area. The principal floristic affinities are widespread – cosmopolitan (20%), pantropical (20%), and Australian endemic (17%). The strongest floristic affinities are with Indonesia-Malaya and New Guinea among tropical regions. Tropical-subtropical elements make up 50% of the flora, with Paleotropical and Indo-Malesian groups represented as well as the pantropical element. The southern temperate element only makes up 13% of the flora. Speciation from ancestral taxa has occurred primarily in monsoonal subtropical, montane, and adjacent temperate regions rather than in the more humid and less seasonal coastal rainforest refugia. Most endemic species are widespread in Australia. This element has diverse origins, including ancient Gondwanan as well as cosmopolitan and pantropical. The genus Rosulabryum (based on Bryum sect. Rosulata) is very diverse in the study area, and Australia is a major centre of speciation for this genus.