Nucleotide sequence variation of the chloroplast rbcL gene of 78 representatives of Jungermanniales suborders Jungermanniineae and Cephaloziineae and five outgroup species is analysed using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood. Jungermannia s.l. is resolved in three independent lineages corresponding to Jungermannia subgen. Jungermannia, Liochlaena and Solenostoma (incl. subgen. Plectocolea). Based on the outcome of the phylogenetic analyses we adopt a narrow generic concept of Jungermannia and accept the genera Liochlaena and Solenostoma. Contrary to proposed hypotheses, the monospecific genus Eremonotus is not nested in Scapaniaceae, Gymnomitriaceae, Cephaloziellaceae or Cephaloziaceae but placed in a clade together with Jungermannia s.str., Liochlaena, Delavayella and Leiocolea. These genera possess female involucres consisting solely of leaf tissue (perianths). Related clades comprise genera with female involucres originating at least partly from stem tissue. We propose to include Delavayella, Eremonotus, Jungermannia s.str., Leiocolea and Liochlaena in Jungermanniaceae based on the phylogenetic reconstructions of cpDNA variation and the distribution of perianths in Jungermanniales suborder Jungermanniineae.
