Microlejeunea miocenica sp. nov. (Porellales, Jungermanniopsida) in Dominican amber, the first fossil of a subcosmopolitan genus of leafy liverworts

We describe a lejeuneoid liverwort preserved in Miocene Dominican amber. The plants creep on bark, have zig-zagged stems, entire-margined suberect leaves with large lobules with a curved apical tooth at the free margin, small, bifid underleaves with forward-directed lobes, and winged female bracts. They are assigned to the extant genus Microlejeunea and classified as Microlejeunea miocenica sp. nov., representing the first fossil of this genus. So far 17 extant genera of Lejeuneaceae have been recognized in Dominican amber, pointing to generic stasis of the regional epiphytic diversity since the Miocene.