Seven Brachytheciaceae (Musci) Species New to Libya

Document Type : Regular issue (Original Article)

Authors

1 Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha, Egypt

2 Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

BRACHYTHECIACEAE Schimp.includes up to 1117 species worldwide. Eleven of its species were reported from Libya between the years 1914-1931. In the present work, 10 species are recorded, seven of them, namely: Brachythecium rutabulum (Hedw.) Schimp., Eurhynchiastrum pulchellum (Hedw.) Ignatov & Huttunen, Pseudoscleropodium purum (Hedw.) M. Fleisch., Rhynchostegium megapolitanum (Blandow ex F. Weber & D. Mohr) Schimp., Sciuro-hypnum plumosum (Hedw.) Ignatov & Huttunen, Scleropodium touretii (Brid.) L.F. Koch and Scorpiurium deflexifolium (Solms) M. Fleisch. & Loeske. are new records bringing the number of Brachytheciaceae species known from Libya to eighteen. Key and distribution of the 18 species in the Mediterranean countries and in the world are given. Descriptions and illustrations of the seven new records are also provided.

Keywords