Tayloria rudolphiana in Russia, а range extension of worldwide rare moss species

Abstract

Tayloria rudolphiana is documented in Altai Mountains, Russia as the first occurrence in North Asia. Previously this species was known in a limited range in Central Europe in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, where it at present is critically endangered to vulnerable. There are two disjunctive localities in China, a recent one in Hubei and a hundred year old collection in Yunnan. Our finding in Altai, in spruce forests in middle mountain zone in moderate abundance is important for assessment of the species conservation status. Molecular barcoding data of the plastid rps4 and trnL–F sequences support the species identity.