Ditrichum difficile, Chile, moss, threatened species

Ditrichum Hampe is one of the largest moss genera in southern South America and hitherto 15 species have been recorded from this area (Greene 1986; Müller 2009). Likewise, the genus is rich in species in austral polar regions and so far 11 species have been recorded from Antarctica and the subantarctic islands (Ochyra 1996, 1999b; Ochyra and Lewis Smith 1998; Ochyra, Bednarek-Ochyra, et al. 2002,2008; Ochyra, Lewis Smith, et al. 2008; Seppelt 2004; Ochyra and Bednarek-Ochyra 2013; Ellis, Aleffi, et al. 2014). Unfortunately, the genus has not been carefully and critically revised to provide a sound taxonomic framework for southern South American and subantarctic material. One of the most distinctivespecies of the genus is Ditirchum difficile, a pantropical-subtropical species which penetrates deeply into the south-temperate zone. It has been recorded from several sites in southern Chile, including some provinces in XII Région Magallanes (Müller 2009), whilstin XI Région Aisén it has hitherto been recorded from Aisén Province (Seki 1974) and Capitán Prat Province (Larraín 2016). Herein, the species is recorded for the first time from Coyhaique Province. A rich populationprofusely producing sporophytes was found on soil at the roadside bank on Río Mogote in the vicinity of Lago Caro.