J. Indian bot. Soc. Vol. 90 (1&2) 2011 : 75-79 ADDITIONS TO THE BRYOFLORA OF SOUTHERN PENINSULAR INDIA S. SANDHYA RANI, M. SOWGHANDIKA, B. SUSHEELA, K.S. NAGESH AND T. PULLAIAH Department of Botany, Sri Krishnadevaraya University Anantapur 515003, A. P., India Five mosses viz., Atrichum undulatum, Semibarbula ranuii, Brachythecium formosonum, Eurhynchium swartzii, Eurhynchium hians were collected, studied, identified and being reported as new distributional records to Southern peninsular India which were not reported earlier. Each species is provided with citation, detailed description and illustrations. Key words: Andhra Pradesh, Bryoflora. Visakhapatnam district in North Coastal hapatnam district during different seasons. Andhra Pradesh harbors rich vegetation mainly Plants were scraped out from different habitats with semi evergreen and moist deciduous such as bark, logs, rocks, termite mounds, forests. It receives high rainfall with increased streams sides, water falls, ponds and moist soil humidity and an altitude up to 1500 m. in shady areas of forest. The field data such as Bryoflora of this area has not been explored so habitat, habit, locality, date, altitude, type of far. While exploring bryoflora of Andhra vegetation, significant characters, associates Pradesh we have collected and studied etc., have been recorded in the field book. bryophytes from Visakhapatnam district The collected specimens were shade during 2007-2010. After thorough study and dried for herbarium preparation. Small portion scrutiny of collected specimens, five mosses of fresh specimens were also preserved in 70% viz. Atrichum undulatum, Semibarbula ranuii, alcohol for anatomical studies. The dried Brachythecium formosonum, Eurhynchium specimens were stored in brown paper pockets swartzii and Eurhynchium hians have been (5” X 4”) pasted with detailed labeling sheet. identified and found to be new distributional Herbarium specimens were deposited in Bryo- records to the bryoflora of Southern Peninsular Herbarium of Botany Department, Sri India. A thorough search of literature Krishnadevaraya University, Andhra Pradesh. (Montagne 1842, Chopra 1975, Gangulee Dried specimens were soaked in cold 1969-80, Srinivasan 1974, Udar 1976, water to regain its original shape before Srivastava and Udar 1979, Ellis 1992, Sharma analyzing. Morphological structures were and Srivastava 1993, Dabhade 1998, Daniels studied using dissection and compound and Daniel 2003, Nair et al. 2004, 2005, 2007, microscope. Identification of the specimens Kumar and Krishna Murthy 2007) revealed was done by referring the concerned literature. that these species have not been reported earlier Further, specimens were confirmed with from Southern Peninsular India. subject experts. Illustrations have been drawn with camera lucida showing details. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SYSTEMATIC ENUMERATION Systematic collection of bryophytes was made from different localities of Visak- Atrichum undulatum (Hedw.) P. Received on December 23, 2010 Accepted on February 23, 2011 S. SANDHYA RANI, M. SOWGHANDIKA, 76 Habitat: Rare, grows on red rocks over soil. Specimen examined: Coffee plantations in Galikonda (VSKP), MS 33959. Distribution India : Darjeeling, Sikkim, Khasi hills. World : East Nepal, Western Himalaya. Semibarbula ranuii Gangulee in Nova Hedwigia, 8: 149. 1964; Gangulee Moss. of E. India 1 (3): 720. 1972. Plant green, unbranched, ± 1.3 mm long, stem brown. Leaves oblong lanceolate, up to 1.5 mm long, 0.3 mm broad, leaf base broad, apex broadly acuminate, leaf cells quadrate, chlorophyllous, 0.01 x 0.01 mm, highly multipapillose at apex, basal cells quadrate to rectangular, 0.01 x 0.01 mm, Figure 1: Atrichum undulatum A. Habit, B. Leaf, C. Leaf apical cells, D. Basal cells, E.T.S. of leaf, F. Marginal cells. Beauv. in Prodr.: 42. 1805; Gangulee Moss. of E. India 1 (1): 71. 1969. Polytrichum undulatum Hedw. in Sp. Musc.: 198. 1801. Catharinea undulatum (Hedw.) Web. et Mohr. in Ind. Pl. Crypt.: 2. 1803. Plant erect, ± 2.8 cm long, pale green, unbranched. Leaves compactly arranged on main stem, lower leaves small, upper leaves up to 7.5 mm long, 1.2 mm broad, leaf ovate- lanceolate, leaf base sheathing, curved when dry, leaf cells round hexagonal, more chlorophyllous, 0.01 x 0.01 mm, basal cells quadrate rectangular, less chlorophyllous, 0.04 x 0.02 mm, marginal cells multilayered, cartilaginous, narrow, elongated, 0.1 x 0.01 mm, margin sharply toothed from apex to occupy half of the leaf, base entire, costa confined to dorsal surface of lamina, reddish brown, percurrent, end with spiny tip just below the apex (Fig. 1). Figure 2: Semibarbula ranui A. Habit, B. Leaf, C. Leaf apical cells, D. Basal cells, ADDITIONS TO THE BRYOFLORA OF SOUTHERN PENINSULAR INDIA 77 cells elongated rhomboid, 0.06 x 0.01 mm, chlorophyllous, basal cells rhomboidal, shortly wider, basal alar cells small, rectangular, 0.04 x 0.01 mm, margin denticulate to above base, costa occupied by nearly just above ½ of leaf, stem leaves larger than branch leaves (Fig. 3). Habitat: Rare, grows on stones in coffee plantation of moist deciduous forest. Specimens examined: Sunkarimetta (VSKP), TP, SSR & KSN 32826. Distribution: India: East Nepal. World: Taiwan. A Taiwan-Himalayan species. Eurhynchium hians (Hedw.) Lac. in Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd. Bat., 2 299. 1866; Gangulee, in Moss. E. India 3 (7): 1738-1739.1978. Hypnum hians Hedw. in Sp. Musc. 272. 1801. Pterigynandrum apiculatum Brid. in Sp. Figure 3: Brachythecium formosonum A. Habit, B. Leaf, C. Leaf apical cells, D. Basal cells, hyaline, with thin walls, margin flat, costa prominent, excurrent in the minute hyaline apiculus, back coarse papillose (Fig. 2). Habitat: occasional, grows on soil, rotten logs bark, coffee plant bark and in forest stream sides of moist deciduous forest. Specimens examined: Near Chintapalli (VSKP) TP, SSR & KSN 32861; Near Gudem (VSKP) TP, SSR & KSN 32865; Simhachalam hills (VSKP) MS 33978. Distribution India: Chhotanagpur. Brachythecium formosonum Takaki in J. Hattori Bot . 15: 2. 1955; Gangulee Moss. of E. India 3 (7) : 1703-04. 1978. Plant medium sized, yellowish green above, brown below, some what shinning, main stem creeping, ± 4.8 cm, with irregular, pinnate branches. Leaves lax, concave, plicate, ovate- Figure 4: Eurhynchium hians A. Habit, B. Leaf, C. Leaf apical cells, D. Basal cells, E. Branch leaf apical cells, F. Middle cells, G. Basal cells, H. Peristome. lanceolate, 1.8 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, leaf S. SANDHYA RANI, M. SOWGHANDIKA, 78 Musc., 1: 137.1806. Hypnum distans Lindb. in deciduous forests, near water streams of Musci Scand.: 34. 1879. nom. illeg. moist deciduous forest. Eurhynchium swartzii (Turn.) Curnow var. Specimens examined: Bandavide hians (Hedw.) Moenk. in Laubm. Eur.: (VSKP) , TP, SSR & KSN 32857; Paderu to 830.1927. Chintapalli (VSKP), TP, SSR & KSN 32856. Plant robust, yellowish green, tufted, Distribution: glossy. Main stem creeping, branches erect, pinnate, unequal in length. Stem leaves long, India: Khasi hills, Simla. narrow, up to 2.3 x 0.5 mm, lanceolate, branch World: East Nepal, Bhutan, W. Tibet, leaves ovate-lanceolate, 1.4 mm long, 0.7 mm Siberia, Caucasus, N. America (Canada to broad, decurrent at base, leaf cells elongated, Gulf of Mexico East of Mississipi). rhomboidal, 0.05 x 0.01 mm, walls wavy, A North Hemisphere species. middle cells narrow elongated rhomboidal, 0.09 x 0.01 mm, basal cells elongated Eurhynchium swartzii (Turn.) Curnow in rectangular at margins, rectangular quadrate, Rabenh. Bryoth. Eur., 12: 593.1862; Gangulee lax at middle, 0.04 x 0.01 mm, margin Moss. of E. India 3 (7): 1739-41. 1978. denticulate to above base, sharply denticulate Hypnum swartzii Turn. in. Musc. Hib.: 151. at apex. Perichaetial leaf small with narrow tip. 1804. Hypnum praelongum Hedw. var. Sporophyte on main stem, seta long, brown, atrovirens Brid. in Sp. Musc., 2: 104. 1812. H. capsule horizontal, 0.18 x 0.06 mm, operculum praelongum Hedw. var. swartzii (Turn.) Hartm. beak like, peristome teeth normal, 0.2 x 0.03 Skand. Fl. Ed. 3: 305. 1838. H. praelongum var. mm, brown (Fig. 4). rigidum Boul. in Fl. Crypt. Est. Muscin.: 230. Habitat: Sparsely, grows on rocks in dry 1872.Oxyrrhynchium swartzii (Turn.) Warnst. in Krypt. Fl. Brandenb., 2: 784. 1905. Hypnum anomalum Stirt. in Ann. Scott. Nat. Hist., 15 (58): 112. 1906. Eurhynchium hians var. swartzii (Turn.) Cortes in An. Inst. Bot. Cavanillens, 11 (1): 228. 1953. Plant delicate, yellowish green, glossy, in thin mats. Main stem creeping, branches lax, erect, pinnate. Leaves lax, alternate, concave, acuminate in stem leaves, branch leaf ovate, acute tip, concave, alternate, lax, 1.6 mm long, 0.5 mm broad, leaf cells elongated rhomboidal, 0.07 x 0.01 mm at apex, middle cells elongated rhomboidal, basal cells broad, lax, rectangular, 0.06 x 0.02 mm, margin denticulate almost to base, costa occupied by nearly ¾ of leaf (Fig. 5). Habitat: Rare, grows on rock in the form of mats in dry deciduous forest. Specimens examined: Bandavide (VSKP), TP, SSR & KSN 32857. Distribution Figure 5: Eurhynchium swarzii A. Habit, B. Leaf, C. Leaf apical cells, D. Basal cells, India: Darjeeling. ADDITIONS TO THE BRYOFLORA OF SOUTHERN PENINSULAR INDIA 79 World: Sri Lanka, East Nepal, China, of peninsular India. Indian J. For. 26 389-396. Japan, Siberia, Kurdistan, Caucasus, Ellis L T 1992 Towards a moss flora of Southern India. Bryobrothera 1 133-136. Europe, Azores, Algeria, Central and South Gangulee H C 1969-1980 Mosses of Eastern India and Africa, Canada and USA. Adjacent Regions. Vols. I-III, (Fasc. 1-8), Calcutta. DISCUSSION Kumar G V & Krishna Murthy K V 2007 Moss flora of Shervaroy hills of Eastern Ghats (South India). In: In the present paper five species of Current trends in Bryology, eds. Nath V & Asthana A K Bishen Singh Mahendrapal Singh, Dehra Dun, India. Pp. bryophytes have been reported for the first time 37-45. from Southern Peninsular India. These include Montagne C J F 1842 Cryptogammia Nilgherienses. Atrichum undulatum of Polytrichaceae, Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. 17 213-256, 18 12- 13.