Molecular data of cryptic species in the Sphagnum magellanicum complex (Bryophyta) in North America

Sphagnum magellanicum (Sphagnaceae, Bryophyta) has been considered to be a single semi-cosmopolitan species, but recent molecular analyses have shown that it comprises a complex of at least seven reciprocally monophyletic groups, that are, however, difficult or impossible to distinguish morphologically. Newly developed barcode markers and RADseq analyses were used to identify species among 808 samples from 119 sites. Molecular approaches are used here to assess the geographic ranges of four North American species, the frequency at which they occur sympatrically, and ecological differentiation among them. Microhabitats were classified with regard to hydrology and shade. Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities was used to assess climate variation among the species. Climate niches were projected back to 22,000 years bp to assess the likelihood that the North American species had sympatric ranges during the late Pleistocene. The species exhibit parallel morphological variation, making..., , , # Ecological differentiation and sympatry of cryptic species in the *Sphagnum magellanicum* complex (Bryophyta)

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.37pvmcvtk](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.37pvmcvtk)

Principal Investigator/Corresponding author: Marta Nieto-Lugilde, Duke University, [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

Data prepared by: Marta Nieto-Lugilde, Duke University, [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

Co-investigators:

Diego Nieto-Lugilde, Universidad de Cordoba

Bryan Piatkowski, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Aaron M. Duffy, Duke University

Sean C. Robinson, SUNY Oneonta

Blanka Aguero, Duke University

Scott Schuette, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program

Richard Wilkens, Salisbury University

Joseph Yavitt, Cornell University

A. Jonathan Shaw, Duke University

Date collected:

2019-2024

These datasets DNA sequences for *Sphagnum magellanicum* group plants collected from the following countries:

Canada (Alberta, B...