Confirmed presence of Gigaspermum repens Hook. Lindb. in the New World

The family Gigaspermaceae consists of six, mostly Southern Hemisphere, genera. Three are monotypic: Costesia Ther. from Chile, Chamaebryum Ther. & Dixon from southern Africa, and Oedipodiella Dixon from South Africa and eastern Spain. The remaining three genera are each represented by just two species. Lorentziella Mull.Hal. is present in southern South America (Bolivia to Uruguay and Argentina), and from central Mexico to southeastern Texas (Fife, 1980). Of the two species of Neosharpiella H.Rob. & Delgad., N. turgida (Mitt.) H.Rob. & Delgad. was described from Ecuador and is also known from a few localities in western Bolivia and Chile. The other, N. aztecorum H.Rob. & Delgad., was once considered restricted to central Mexico (Fife, 1980). It has recently been reported from southern Africa (van Rooy & Perold, 2006), and also under its synonym Quathlamba debilicostata Magill (Magill, 1987). The genus Gigaspermum Lindb. is also represented by two species, G. repens (Hook.) Lindb. and G. mouretii Corb.; the latter is mainly restricted to the