1. Herrnstadt, H. Bischler & S. Jovet-Ast

Highlights from "The Bryophyte Flora of Israel" by C. C. Heyn & I. Herrnstadt, eds.

Abstract

Hermstadt, I. , Bischler, H. & Jovet-Ast, s.: Highlights lrom "Thc Bryophyte Flora or Israel" by C. C. Heyn & I. HerrnSladt, eds. - Bocconea 16(2): 985-989. 2003. -ISSN 1120-4060.

Thc prcparation or th c Bryophytc part of thc Flora Palacstina series has been complcted and "Thc 8ryophyte Flora or lsrael" is in press (published by Thc Israel Academy or Sciences and Humanitics, Series editor F. D. Por, Scienti fi c edi tor N. L. Gil-ad.). Thc flora comprises 259 taxa (220 , 39 homworts and liverworls). Geographically thc tl ora covers thc area l'rom thc Mediterranean Sea lo thc Syrian-African Rift Vall ey, and in additi on includes thc Galao Hcights and th c south part or Mt. He rm on . This paper prov ides some highlights on the taxonomic and tloristic research, particularly species diversity and species composition, on phytogeogra phic etements and on endemismo A comparison also is made between the Israeli bryophyte l10ra and thal or Europe.

Introduction

The Bryophyte flora volume comprises two parts: l. B ryopsida (mosses) by lI ana Herrnstadt & C. Clara Heyn. and Il. Anthocerotopsida (homworts) and Hepaticopsida (liverworts) by Helene Bischler and Suzanne Jovet-Ast. The following aspects are noteworthy.

Composition of the local Ilora

The bryophyte fl ora includes 259 taxa comprising 9% of flora of Israel. This exceeds the generai world wide percentage (Bischler & Jovet-Ast 1975; Herrnstadt 1992; Herrnstadt & al. 1991 ; Jovet-Ast & al. 1965, 1966, 1975). There are 220 taxa of mosses. The most commonly represented order is Pottiales with 43 % of the total number of species (Table I). Within th e Pottiales, almost all the species be long to the family . Eighty four taxa have been recorded from lsrael far the first time. Four species and three varieties are new to science and one new name was added. There are 39 taxa ofliverworts. The most commonly represented arder is Marchantiales with 62% ofthe total number of species (Table 2). The family Ricciaceae compri ses 63% ofthe total number ofspecies in the order Marchantiales. 986 Herrnstadt & a l.: Highlights from " The Bryophyte ...

Table I. Summary of the orders, tàmilies, genera, and species of mosses treated in the Flora. Order Number of Number of Number 01' Number of fami lies genera species species as perccnl of total

Fissidentales IO 5 2 4 5 2

Pottiales 2 25 91 43

Grimmi ales 3 IO 5

Encalyptales 2

Funariales 3 6 16 8

Bryales 3 6 27 13

Ortholri chales 2 7 3

Leucodontales 3 6 6 3

Hypnales 3 IO 36 17

Tolal number 20 64 210

Table 2. Summary of the orders, fa mi lies, genera, and species of hornworts and li verworts treated in the Flora Order Numher of Number of genera Numbcr of Number of fami li es species species as percenl oftatal

Anthocerotales 2 5

J ungcnnannia les 5 5 6 15

Metzgerial es 3 3 3 8

Sphaerocarpales 2 2 4 IO

Marchantiales 8 I l 24 62

Tolal number 19 22 39

Endernism

Among th e mosses 5,5% ofthe taxa are endemie to IsraeI and th e eastern Mediterranean or so uthwestern Asia. Speeies endemie to Israel are crossidioides, longifolium, gemmifera, Phascum ga/ilaeum, Ph. cllspida/um varo margina/um, Ph. cuspidalUm varo arcuatwn, Barbula ehrenbergii var. gemmipara (Hermstadt & Heyn 1993, 1999). Bocconea 16(2) - 2003 987

Species endemie to sout hwestern Asia and the eastern Mediterranean are Gymnostornum mosis, Cinc/idotus pachy/orna, Tar/ula pseudohandelii, T. rigescens and T. echinata. Among the loeal hornworts and Ii verworts no endemie taxon has been found.

Phy!ogeographical elemen!

About 50% of the local mosses are Mediterranean elements. Approx imately 25% show a temperate pattern of distribution. Five pereent are boreal and a similar pereent are continental western and centrai Asian pl ants. A few species of paleotropic orig in have penetrated north along the Syrian-Afri can Rift Va ll ey. Ofthe localliverworts, about 5 1% have present-day tropical distri bution. Some 26% are Mediterranean or European-Mediterranean elements, 8% are boreal, and 15% show a north- south di sj unct range.

A comparison between the floras of Israel and Europe

A summary of the orders of mosses, li verworts and hornworts in the laeal fl ora and a compari son of the number of species (reprcsented as percent of the total) with the European fl ora is presented in Fi gures I and 2. Among the mosses the largest order, Pol/ia/es, comprises 43,3% or the total number (9 1) ofspecies, compared with only 19,5% ofthe total number of species in Europe. This order is characterized by morpho logical and physio logical adaptati ons to variable conditions and harsh environments (Zander 1993). POI/io/es by fa r has the largest geographical distribution, in cluding the more ari d desert regions, of any of the orders in the IDea i fl ora. Funaria/es with a relati vely higher presence of species in Israel compared lo Europe (7,6% in Israel compared to 6,5% in Europe) represents an order wi th a large sporoph ytic plastic ity as well gametophytes with a wide range of ecological to lerance to diverse microhabitats. The hornwort and li ve rwo~t orders AnthocerOlales, Sphaerocarpales and Marchantiales, whic h are characterised by drought talerant species or species with large, resistant spores, compri se 77% of the 10ta1 number of species in the laeal fl ora compared to onl y 18% ofthe total in Europe. The .Jungermannia/es (the largest ord er in Europe) and the Metzgeriales, whic h are characteri sed mainly by sciophilous species, compri se onl y 23% of the total number of species in the IDea i flora compared IO 82% of the total in Europe (Table 2). Compared lO the loeal fl ora, the European fl ora is much richer in number of species. This fact could be related to the local pallcity of acidic soils, the absence of extended maquis and forests, as well as the lack of the high alti tudes found in parts of Europe.

Concluding remarks

This fl ora summari ses twenty-two years of research on the bryophytes nati ve to lsrael. Our region has attracted very few bryophyte speciali sts and there was ampie scope for 988 Herrnstadt & al.: Highlights [rom "The Bryophyte ...

45 ,------, Q. ..Q. 40+------~~------~------_r--~ 'I; 35+------~~------~ I5Ilsrael ~ ..,ti 30 +------l' E IZI Europe "c 25+------~*_------~ ! 20+------~~------~======~~~ ....o '5+------~~------~~------~ c ti ' O+-----~~~~------~~~------~~ ~ ti h,.,----t%l-~,z; Q. 5

O ~~~~~~~~~~~~UL~~~~~~~~~y

Fig. 1. Summary ofthc orders ofrnosses in the loeal flora and a comparison ofthc number ofspecies (represented as percent ofthe total) with thc European flora.

80 o.. o...... 70 O ISIlsrael "- 60 CII ~ IZI Europe E 50 :::s c: ii 40 ....-O 30 -O c: 20 -CII u "- CII 10 Il.. O "...",~ "'~ ~~ ~,p "'~ ~'1:i ~ ~'b ~'b ~ 'b~ ~~ Cb'" -t§''1:i "'~ Cf:' ..# ~"'~ ~cfi ~~ ~'" 'b'" ~.::,,: ~~ .r Fig. 2. Summary ofthe orders of liverworts and homworts in thc loeal flora and a comparison ofthc number of species (represented as percent of the total) with the European flora. Bocconea 16(2) - 2003 989

augmenting the existing data and interpretations. The research was rewarding because this small country has been found to have an unexpectedly wide diversity of species.

References

Bischler, H. & Jovet-Ast, S. 1975: Récolte d'Hépatiques de Jérusalem à Nablus et Ein Gedi. ~ Rev. Bryol. Lichenol. 41 : 17-26. Herrnstadt, I. 1992: Check-lisI of the bryophytes coll ected during Iter Mediterraneum II. - Boccone. 3: 217-222. & Heyn, C. C. 1993: New species linking Phascum and Patria (Polliaceae). - Nova Hedw. 57: 135-139. , - 1999: Threc new taxa of Pottiaceae (Musei) from Israel: Acaufon longifolium, Pollia gemmifera and Barbula ehrenbergii varo gemmiparo. --:- Nova Hedw. 69: 229-235. , - & Crosby, M. R. 1991: A checkli s! of the mosses oflsrael. - Bryologist 94: 168-178. Jovet-Ast, S. & Bi schler, H. 1966: Les Hépatiques d' lsrael: Énumération, notes écologiques et biogeographiques. - Rev. Bryol. Lichénol. 34: 9 1-126. , - & Baum, B. 1965: Hépatiques récoltées en Israel (15 mars-13 avril 1964). - Israel J. Bot. 14: 36-48. Zander, R. H. 1993: Genera ofthe Pottiaceae: Mosses of Harsh Environments. - BuI!. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. 32.

Addresses of the authors: Ilana Hennstadt. The Hebrew Un iversity of Jerulsalem, Safra Campus, IL-91904 Jerusalem, Israel. Helene Bischler & Suzanne Jovet-Ast, Laboratoire de Cryptogamie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, F-75005 Paris, France.