Tropical component of the Moss Flora of China

Tropical Bryology 2: 201-222, 1990 

Tropical component of the Moss Flora of China 

Paul L. Redfearn, Jr. 

Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri 65804-009 

In many ways, it is presumptuous for me 

to speak on the mosses of the tropical 

regions of China. Many consider the 

knowledge about the taxonomy, ecology, 

and geography of tropical bryophytes 

inadequate (Pócs 1982; Schuster 1983; 

Richards 1984), and this is certainly the 

case for the bryophytes of the tropical 

regions of China. The taxonomy of 

Chinese taxa is generally in a state of 

disarray. Early workers, both Chinese and 

others, have tended to describe new 

species based upon minor or inconsequential 

morphological characters and without 

apparent reference to related taxa 

found outside of China. This is clear from 

recent monographic studies that compared 

Chinese taxa with taxa throughout the 

world. For example, Su (1988) in his 

studies of Homaliodendron reduced the 

taxa of this genus for southeast Asia from 

over eighteen to four. Similar synonymizing 

has occurred in Forsstroemia (Stark 

1987), Mniaceae (Koponen 1981), 

Grimmia and Schistidum (Cao & Vitt 

1986) and the Calymperaceae (Lin & 

Reese 1989). Furthermore, monographers 

of groups have not always been able to 

study adequate collections from China as 

for example, Noguchi’s (1976) revision 

of the Meteoriaceae or Nyholm’s (1971) 

studies on the genus Atrichum. Even recent 

monographic or revisionary studies such 

as those on Leucodon (Akiyama 1988), 

Trachyloma (Miller & Manuel 1982), 

Glossadelphus (Tixier 1988), Entodon (Hu 

1983), Ctenidium (Nishimura 1985), 

Forsstroemia (Stark 1987), Gollania 

(Higuchi 1985) or Fissidens (Li 1985) 

appear to have had only those collections 

from China for study that were available 

in herbaria outside of China. The cause for 

this probably rests with the difficulty of 

borrowing material from Chinese herbaria. 

Even when specimens are loaned by 

Chinese herbaria the borrower gets only a 

small sample of what may be present. 

Herbaria I have visited in China have 

huge backlogs of unprocessed or 

unidentified collections. In many cases 

these collections come from significant 

regions such as western Sichuan, Yunnan 

and the tropical regions of Xizang (Tibet). 

It is only fair to point out that our Chinese 

colleagues have worked under conditions 

that most of us would not tolerate. First, 

they have had to endure the problems of 

isolation from the West during the cultural 

revolution when most, if not all scholars, 

were assigned tasks completely unrelated 

to their interests or training such a working 

in the rice fields, building dams, mining 

coal, or being 'barefoot' doctors. During 

this period the survival of libraries and 

collections was accomplished only by the 

heroic action of teachers and students. 

And, collecting in China is not always 

easy. Travel is difficult to arrange, 

provisions for drying and preservation of 

collections are inadequate, and 

transportation of collections from the point 

of collection to the place of study is often 

delayed. Transit periods of from six to 

201

twelve months are not uncommon. 

Finally, China is a large and diverse 

country and the number of bryology 

students are few by European and North 

American standards. There are many areas 

that need intensive study and this most 

certainly includes the tropical region of 

China. Those of us from the West that 

have been able to collect in limited areas in 

China are finding new species (Reese & 

Lin 1989) or taxa new to China (Redfearn 

et al 1989; Vitt personal communication). 

Although Chinese bryologists are busy 

today working on the bryophyte flora of 

China, such studies are not high on the list 

of government priorities. Even so, floras 

for specific provinces or regions have 

been prepared, such as the Flora of Xizang, 

and the floras of Yunnan, Hainan, and 

Sichuan provinces are currently in 

preparation. Unfortunately, these floras 

have been or are being prepared without a 

solid base of taxonomic studies of the 

Chinese taxa. 

Ecological studies of tropical bryophytes 

in China are essentially lacking. This is 

due, in part, to a lack of training, equipment, 

and time. Many of the present bryologists 

in China received their education during 

the cultural revolution when the study of 

mathematics was considered unnecessary 

and when they were isolated from the 

exciting developments occurring in 

ecology elsewhere. 

With these problems in mind, I will review 

for you what is known, and which is 

surely only a fraction of what is to be 

learned, about the mosses of tropical China 

and to suggest how our knowledge might 

be significantly increased in the next 

decade. 

Tropical plant communties in China 

There are three types tropical plant communities 

in China (Hou 1983) found in 

China (Fig. 1). One type is the Bamboo 

evergreen forests of subtropical and 

tropical zones. This plant community is 

extensively developed in Sichuan and 

southern China. Little is known about the 

bryophytes of these bamboo forests and I 

will not attempt to discuss this type of 

community. 

A second type of tropical plant community 

is the Tropical broad- leaved semievergreen 

forests. This community is 

extensively developed in southwestern 

Guangxi, Xishuangbanna in Yunnan and 

Guangdong. These forests have a dry 

season and as the dry season becomes less 

distinct they become more and more similar 

to the Tropical Rain Forests discussed 

below. These semi-evergreen seasonal 

forests differ from tropical rain forests in 

several characteristics (Hou 1983). Trees 

of the upper layers are lower and very few 

of the larger trees are buttressed. Lianas 

and epiphytes are less abundant. In 

Xishuangbanna and Guangxi these forests 

are found on calcareous soils. However, 

on western Hainan Island, this type of 

forest occurs on acid soils. 

The third type of tropical vegetation is the 

Tropical broad- leaved evergreen rain 

forest. Located on the eastern sides of 

Hainan and Tawain islands, in 

southeastern Yunnan Province, and in the 

extreme part of southwestern Tibet, these 

forests are characterized by a climate that 

is moisture saturated throughout the year. 

Evergreen trees in the families Moraceae, 

Myrtaceae, Annonaceae, Apocyanaceae, 

Sterculiaceae, Sapotaceae, 

Dipterocarpaceae, Meliaceae, 

Sapindaceae, Proteaceae, and Fagaceae 

are present. Many reach giant size, exhibit 

plank- buttresses and cauliflory, and are 

usually clothed with ferns, mosses and 

liverworts, and epiphytes belonging to the 

Araceae and the Orchidaceae. 

All of these forests, except those in Taiwan, 

lie within the Indochinese Region 

(Takhtajan 1986). Hainan Island, southern 

203

210 

Yunnan and Guangxi, and the coastal 

regions of Guangdong are included in his 

South Chinese Province. The tropical 

region of Taiwan occurs on the southern 

peninsula of Hengchun and is included in 

the Philippinean Province of the Malesian 

Region. 

Mosses of the tropical regions of China 

Except for a preliminary list of the mosses 

of Hainan Island by Tan, Li & Lin (1987), 

there are no published studies that list the 

mosses found specifically in the tropical 

regions of China . There is a recent index 

to the mosses of Taiwan (Kuo & Chiang 

1987), but this index understandably does 

not delineate taxa found in the tropical rain 

forests. However, Chuang (1973) in his 

Moss flora of Taiwan exclusive essentially 

of pleurocarpous families, does cite 55 

taxa from the Hengchun area where 

tropical rain forests occur. Consequently, 

the lists compiled for each of these regions 

is tentative and based upon collections 

made by my colleagues and I in 

Xishuangbanna, from a few collections 

made by others, and the few published 

records that specifically list localities in 

tropical regions. Moreover, it should be 

kept in mind that the identification of 

collections made in Xishuangbanna by 

Crosby, Magill, Wu, Lou, Wang and 

myself is far from complete. Koponen has 

also collected in Xishuangbanna but, as 

far as I know, a list of his collections has 

not been published. 

Six provinces in China contain tropical 

vegetation. These are Hainan, 

Guangdong, Guangxi, Tawain, Yunnan, 

and Xizang. Excluding Xizang, which 

contains mostly high plateau and 

mountainous regions, there are 

approximately 1352 taxa of mosses 

recorded for these provinces. Many of 

these taxa occur in the extensive subtropical 

forests common in Yunnan, Guangxi, 

Guangdong and Taiwan. Seven hundred 

and thirty-three (55.3%) of these taxa area 

recorded for Yunnan Province. One 

hundred and sixty-six (12.5%) taxa are 

recorded for Guangdong Province. One 

hundred and nineteen (9.1%) are recorded 

from Hainan Province. Only 54 (4.1%) 

taxa are recorded from Guangxi Province. 

The largest number of taxa , 831 (66.1%), 

are recorded from Taiwan. A comparison 

of these figures with the number of taxa 

specifically recorded from tropical regions 

indicates how little is known. Only 189 

taxa are known specifically from 

Xishuangbanna, 119 taxa from Hainan 

Island and 55 taxa (mostly acrocarpous) 

are known from Hengchun in Taiwan. 

For the Medog area of Xizang, 421 taxa 

are reported Wu & Lou (1981). A list of 

these taxa has not been published. The 

number of taxa for the Medog area may be 

low since at least one large collection of 

mosses from this area by Y.-G. Su has yet 

to be cataloged and identified. 

Geographical Analysis of the mosses of 

tropical regions of China 

For the purpose of this analysis I have 

included only those taxa that have been 

specifically cited in the literature as 

occurring in regions where tropical 

vegetation occurs [Hainan (Tan & Li, & 

Lin 1987), Hengchun in Taiwan (Chuang 

(1973), Xishuangbanna (Redfearn et al 

1989), and Medog in Xizang (Wu & Lou, 

1981] or have been found in recent field 

studies by myself and others in 

Xishuangbanna. This provides a total of 

329 taxa (Table 1) upon which to base an 

analysis. In actual number this may be 

adequate but its sources, except for Hainan, 

come from a highly skewed taxonomic 

sample. The Taiwan sample is limited 

primarily to acrocarpous mosses and the 

Xishuangbanna sample is based upon 

identifications in genera or families for 

which some reasonably good literature for 

the region is available such as the 

Meteoriaceae, Pottiaceae, Calymperaceae, 

Mniaceae, Neckeraceae, Leskeaceae, Atrichum, 

Fissidens, Grimmia, Forsstroemia,

212 

Ctenidium, and Brachymenium. Many 

difficult groups including the 

Amblystegiaceae, Brachytheciaceae, 

Hypnaceae, Sematophyllaceae (except 

Glossadelphus), Sphagnum, Bryum, Pogonatum, 

and Plagiothecium, are yet to 

be studied. In many cases we simply have 

not had the time to study collections that 

might otherwise be readily identified. 

I would now like to examine the 

distribution pattern of the taxa of mosses 

found in the tropical vegetational regions 

of China. For this purpose I have included 

As 2 in As 1, combined Am 2 & 3, 

combined Am 4, 5, & 6, combined Afr 1, 

2, 3, & 4, and combined Austr 1 & 2. The 

floristic affinities for the combined tropical 

taxa and for the taxa of each, 

Xishuangbanna (Xb), Hainan (Ha), 

Medog (Me), and Hengchun (He), are 

shown in Table 2 and Figure 2. The 

affinities shown by Table 2 & Figure 2 

clearly indicate that there is, as one might 

expect, a strong representation of Eastern 

Asian, India-Himalayan, and Indo- 

Malayan taxa. The moss flora for each of 

the areas with tropical vegetation, i.e. 

Xishuangbanna, Hainan, Medog in 

Xizhang, and Hengchun in Taiwan, with 

the exception of the Medog area, have 

similar floristic affinities. That the Medog 

area appears different is, I suspect, due to 

the fact that I have not been able to get a list 

of taxa for this area. Nevertheless, it may 

still be different because of its location on 

the Tibetan Plateau where extreme 

elevation differences provide both 

montane and lowland habitats. 

A tentative list of the taxa assigned to each 

of the floristic regions is included in 

Appendix I. Many taxa occur in several 

floristic regions. This should be expected 

since the tropical regions of China are 

areas that lie along the boundary between 

eastern Asia, Indian-Himalayan and Indo- 

Malayan regions. And, these areas have 

been subject to many interesting dispersal 

patterns and environmental changes. First 

and foremost, one must consider the 

consequence of the Indian plate as it drifted 

northward and collided with the Laurasian 

plate forcing the uplift of the Himalayan 

mountains. Not only did this tectonic event 

result in the possible rafting of Gonwanna 

taxa into southern Laurasia (Schuster 

1983), but the tremendous elevation 

changes that developed in the southern 

part of Laurasia also influenced major 

weather patterns in Southeast Asia. Strong 

easterly air flow created the monsoon conditions 

necessary for the development of 

the tropical rainforests (Chang 1983). Furthermore, 

such a strong easterly air flow 

was probably the vector for long range 

dispersal of bryophytes to Southeast Asia 

and to the oceanic islands in the Pacific. 

Add to all this the influence of the Arcto- 

Tertiary events that established remarkable 

relationships between eastern North 

America and eastern Asia, and the 

migration patterns stimulated by the 

Pleistocene and it is understandable why 

the mosses of the Chinese tropics have 

such diverse geographic affinities. 

The large number of endemic species 

reported from the Medog region of Xizang 

is noteworthy. This may be the result of 

the topographic diversity and isolation of 

the region that have combined to produce 

both 'biotic islands' and 'stress', conditions 

that promote rapid speciation (Schuster 

1983). 

The islands of Hainan and Taiwan are 

considered continental. In the case of 

Hainan, the floristic affinities seems to be 

equally divided between eastern Asiatic, 

India-Himalayan, and Indomalayan 

(Figure 2). Wu & Lou (1978) noted that 

the same floristic elements exist for the 

Hepaticae. On the otherhand, the floristic 

affinities of Hengchun on Taiwan, based 

on acrocarpous mosses, has a weaker representation 

of India-Himalayan and 

Indomalayan taxa than Hainan. Similar 

conclusions were reached by Wang (1970) 

in his monumental study of the

218 

Phytogeography of the Mosses of 

Formosa. He noted that 'The flora is largely 

a combination of eastern Asiatic, 

Himalayan and Indomalaysian types...' 

He further pointed out that the flora “...is 

much more strongly Sino- Japanese than 

Himalayan or Indomalayan in affinity.” 

Many of the mosses of the tropics of China 

have ranges extending to subtropical 

vegetation of northern Yunnan, Guizhow, 

Hunan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, 

Taiwan, Xizhang, and Sichuan. 

Representative of such taxa are Garkea 

flexuosa (Figure 3), Octoblepharum albidum 

(Figure 4), Calymperes erosum 

(Figure 5), Aerobryidium filamentosum 

(Figure 6), Barbella cubensis (Figure 7), 

Acroporium oxysporum (Figure 8), 

Meteoriopsis reclinata (Figure 9), 

Zygodon obtusifolius (Figure 10) and 

Pseudoleskeopsis zippelii (Figure 11). 

Likewise, many species, such as Brothera 

leana (Figure 12), with an Asian and 

North American distribution, extend into 

the Chinese tropics. 

In summary, in spite of the incompleteness 

of our knowledge of the tropical moss 

flora of China, I strongly expect that as this 

flora becomes better known, the 

geographical affinities indicated by this 

analysis will be strengthened. That is, the 

affinities of the moss flora of tropical 

regions in China are largely associated 

with Eastern Asia, India-Himalayan, and 

Indomalayan. Species found in the 

Australian area may be the result of long 

range dispersal or, in some cases, be due to 

rafting of taxa on the Indian plate from 

Gonwanna to Laurasia. Certainly longrange 

dispersal is responsible for affinities 

with Pacific Oceanic islands. Arcto-tertiary 

elements in the tropical moss flora are 

probably related to migration patterns 

established during the Pleistocene 

(Schuster 1983). 

Prospects for future bryological work 

in the Chinese tropics 

Establishing a research programs in China 

is never easy. Many negotiations need to 

be made with the specific persons you 

want to work with in China, and they in 

turn have to negotiate with Provincial and 

County officials for permission to collect. 

Many areas are still not open to foreigners. 

Once one has gained permission to collect 

in an area travel is not particularly difficult. 

Four-wheel vehicles are available through 

most of China. However, you will 

sometimes wonder if they do not have 

their frames welded to the axils. Lodging 

and food is no problem if you like or at 

least can tolerate Chinese food and hard 

beds. As in other tropical areas it is wise to 

take anti-malarial medication before 

entering China. In southern China 

schistosomiasis in present and the vectors 

are found in the rice paddies. Leeches are 

a constant problem in the tropical and 

subtropical regions so one must wear 

appropriate clothing. I find that they are 

more a nuisance than a real danger. 

There is no region in China that does not 

need more field studies. Certainly the 

tropical and subtropical regions of the 

southern provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi, 

Guizhow, Guangdong, Hainan, and 

southern Xizang need much more careful 

investigation. In order to efficiently arrange 

for field work one must have a contact or 

contacts within the established research 

institutes in China such as the South China 

Institute of Botany in Guangzhou 

(Canton), the Institute of Botany in Beijing, 

or the Institute of Botany in Kunming. All 

these Institutes are part of the Chinese 

Academy of Sciences (Academia Sinica). 

One of the most promising ways to gain a 

better understanding of the bryoflora of 

China is through extended visits of Chinese 

bryologists and their students to western 

Universities and research institutions. 

When they return, to China they not only 

provide us with established contacts in

China, but they take back many new ideas 

and methods for their bryological studies 

in China. 

Recently there has been established under 

Academia Sinica the concept of the Open 

Laboratory. Though this Open Laboratory 

was established to promote the study of 

vascular plants, bryophytes may also be 

included. Dr. Raven of the Missouri 

Botanical Garden is the best person to 

contact about how this Open Laboratory 

functions. 

Finally, I must remind you of the vastness 

of China, its tremendous ecological 

diversity and topography, its juxtaposition 

to the tropical regions of southeast Asia, 

Indochina, and Malaysia and the fact that 

there are relatively few Chinese who 

devote their time to the study of bryophytes. 

Cooperation between European, 

American, and Asian bryologists with each 

other and with our Chinese colleagues is 

necessary. We must be patient with the 

problems they face and remember that the 

purpose of cooperation is to further the 

knowledge of tropical bryology. 

LITERATURE CITED . 

Akiyama, H. 1988. Studies on Leucodon (Leucodontaceae, 

Musci) and related genera in east Asia. IV. Taxonomic revision 

of Leucodon in east Asia. J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 65: 1-80. 

Cao, T. & D. H. Vitt. 1986. A taxonomic revision and 

phylogenetic analysis of Grimmia and Schistidium (Bryopsida; 

Grimmiaceae) in China. J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 61: 123-247. 

Chang, D. H. S. 1983. The Tibetan Plateau in relation to the 

vegetation of China. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 70: 564-570. 

Chuang, C. C. 1973. A moss flora of Taiwan exclusive of 

essentially pleurocarpous families. J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 37: 419- 

509. 

Higuchi, M. 1985. A taxonomic revision of the genus Gollania 

Broth., (Musci). J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 59: 1-77. 

Hou, H.-Y. 1983. Vegetation of China with reference to its 

geographical distribution. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 70: 509- 548. 

Hu, R. 1983. A revision of the Chinese species of Entodon 

(Musci, Entodontaceae). Bryologist 86: 193-233. 

Koponen, T. 1981. A synopsis of Mniaceae (Bryopsida). VI. 

Southeast Asian taxa. Acta Bot. Fennica 117: 1-34. 

Kuo, C.-M. & T.-Y. Chiang. 1987. Index of Taiwan 

mosses. Taiwania 32: 119-207. 

Li, Z.-H. 1985. A revision of the Chinese species of Fissidens 

(Musci, Fissidentaceae). Acta Bot. Fennica 129: 1-65. 

Lin, P.-J. & W. D. Reese. 1898. A further study on Chinese 

Calymperaceae. Bryologist 92: 170-173. 

Miller, N. G. & M. G. Manuel. 1982. Trachyloma 

(Bryophytina, Pterobryaceae): A taxonomic monograph. J. 

Hattori Bot. Lab. 51: 273-321. 

Nishimura, N. 1985. A revision of the genus Ctenidium 

(Musci). J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 58: 1-82. 

Noguchi, A. 1976. A taxonomic revision of the Family 

Meteoriaceae of Asia. J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 41: 231-357. 

Nyholm, E. 1971. Studies in the genus Atrichum P. Beauv. A 

short survey of the genus and the species. Lindbergia 1: 1-33. 

Pócs, T. 1982. Tropical forest bryophytes. In, Bryophyte 

Ecology, A. J. E. Smith, Editor. Chapman & Hall, New York. pp 

59-104. 

Redfearn, P. L. Jr., P.-C. Wu, S. He & Y.-G. Su. 1989. 

Mosses new to mainland China. Bryologist 92: 183-185. 

Reese, W. D. & P.-J. Lin. 1989. Two new species of 

Syrrhopodon from southeast Asia. Bryologist 92: 186-189. 

Richards, P. W. 1984. The ecology of tropical forest 

bryophytes. In:, New Manual of Bryology, Vol. 2. R. M. Schuster, 

Editor. Hattori Botanical Laboratory., Nichinan, Japan. pp 

1233-1270. 

Schuster, R. M. 1983. Phytogeography of the bryophyta. In:, 

New Manual of Bryology, Vol. 1, R. M. Schuster, Editor. Hattori 

Botanical Laboratory, Nichinan, Japan. pp 463-626. 

Stark, L. R. 1987. A taxonomic monograph of Forsstroemia 

Lindb. (Bryopsida: Leptodontaceae). J. Hattori. Bot. Lab. 63: 

133- 218. 

Su, Y.-G. 1988. Revision of the genus Homaliodendron 

(Neckeraceae) of south-east Asia. Master’s Thesis, Southwest 

Missouri State University, Springfield, MO. 

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California Press. Los Angeles. 522 p. + i-xxii. 

Tan, B. C., Z.-H Li, & P.-C Lin. 1987. Preliminary list of 

mosses reported from Hainan Island, China. Yushania 4: 5-5. 

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phyllaceae, Musci) et sa valeur. Nova Hedwigia 46: 319- 356. 

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sa. Tunghai University. Taichung, Taiwan. 576 p. + i-xvi. 

Wu, P.-C. & P.-J. Lin. 1978. A preliminary observation on 

the hepaticae of the island Hainan, China and their 

phytogeographical relationships. Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 

16: 56-71. (In Chinese with English abstract) 

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origin of the bryoflora of the southern flank of the east Himalayas. 

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Vol. II. pp. 1179-1188. Science Press, Beijing and Gordon and 

Breach, Science Publishers, Inc. New York. 

219

220 

APPENDIX I 

Taxa with predominantly 

East Asian distribution 

Andreaea rupestris var. 

fauriei 

Anomodon minor var. 

integerrimus 

Atrichum yakushimense 

Barbula indica 

Barbula subcomosa 

Brachythecium wichurae 

Campylopus japonicus 

Claopodium aciculum 

Dicranum hamulosum 

Dicranum japonicum 

Fissidens aldephinus 

Fissidens gymnogynus 

Fissidens tosaensis 

Giraldiella levier1 

Gollania ruginosa 

Grimmia delcavata 

Handeliobryum 

sikkimense 

Horikawaea nitida 

Hydrogonium 

dixonianum 

Hyophila propagulifera 

Lopidium nazeense 

Neacroporium 

flagelliferum 

Neckeropsis calcicola 

Oedicladium fragile 

Orthotrichum 

consobrinum 

Physcomitrium 

coorgense 

Pinnatella makinoi 

Pogonatum takaomontanum 

Ptychomitrium 

formosicum 

Racomitrium fasciculare 

var. atroviridie 

Racomitrium fasciculare 

var. orientale 

Racopilum aristatum 

Rhaphidostichum macrostictum 

Splachnobryum 

giganteum 

Regmatodon orthostegius 

Thamnobryum 

plicatulum 

Thamnobryum sandei 

Thuidium kanedae 

Thuidium talongense 

Trichostomum 

platyphyllum 

Weissia longidens 

Taxa that occur primarily 

in the India-Himalayan 

and are not found in the 

Indo-Malayan region 

Brotherella nictans 

Bryum recurvulum 

Calyptothecium wrightii 

Cyathophorella 

tonkinensis 

Entodontopsis pygmea 

Floribundaria sparsa 

Garkea flexuosa 

Macromitrium 

goniostomum 

Mitthyridium 

fasciculatum 

Racopilum orthocarpum 

Taxa that occur 

primarily in the Indo- 

Malayan region and are 

not found in the India- 

Himalayan region 

Acroporium alto-pungens 

Acroporium hamulatum 

Calymperes serratum 

Calyptothecium ramosii 

Calyptothecium 

urvilleanum 

Campylopus caudatus 

Cyathophorella 

hookeriana 

Dicranodontium fleischerianum 

Distichophyllum tortile 

Ectropothecium 

dealbatum 

Exostratum blumei 

Garovaglia plicata 

Glossadelphus bilobatus 

Glossadelphus glossoides 

Hookeriopsis geminidens 

Lopidium trichocladon 

Pinnatella microptera 

Pseudoleskeopsis zippelii 

Pterobryopsis 

crassicaulis 

Trichosteleum pseudomammosum 

Wilsoniella decipiens var. 

acutifolia 

Taxa that are occur in 

both Indian-Himalayan 

and Indo-Malayan 

regions. Many of these 

taxa also may range into 

Eastern Asia, Australian 

and the Pacific Islands 

regions 

Acanthorrhynchium 

papillatum 

Acroporium oxyporum 

Acroporium secundum 

Acroporium turgidum 

Aerobryidium 

filamentosum 

Barbella cubensis 

Bartramidula 

bartramioides 

Bartramidula roylei 

Callicostella papillata 

Chaetomitriopsis glaucocarpa 

Claopodium 

prionophyllum 

Dicranoloma blumei 

Duthiella flaccida 

Duthiella wallichii 

Entodontopsis anceps 

Fissidens areolatus

Fissidens crenulatus 

Fissidens hollianus 

Fissidens javanicus 

Fissidens laxus 

Fissidens nobilis 

Fissidens plagiochiloides 

Fissidens robinsonii 

Floribundaria walkeri 

Foreauella orthothecia 

Homaliodendron 

flabellatum 

Homaliodendron microdendron 

Homaliodendron scalpellifolium 

Hydrogonium javanicum 

Hymenostomum 

edentulum 

Hyophila javanica 

Hypopterygium tenellum 

Leucobryum aduncum 

Leucobryum bowringii 

Leucobryum javense 

Leucobryum 

neilgherrense 

Leucobryum scalare 

Leucoloma molle 

Leucoloma walkeri 

Leucophanes albescens 

Leucophanes candidum 

Leucophanes octoblepharioides 

Macromitrium 

fasciculare 

Macromitrium nepalense 

Macrothamnium macrocarpum 

Meteoriopsis reclinata 

Microdus brasiliensis 

Mitthyridium flavum 

Neckeropsis crinita 

Neckeropsis gracilenta 

Pelekium bifarium 

Philonotis mollis 

Philonotis thwaitesii 

Pinnatella alopecuroides 

Pinnatella ambigua 

Pinnatella intralimbata 

Pseudobarbella 

ancistrodes 

Pseudospirodentopsis 

horrida 

Reimersia inconspicua 

Schoenobryum concavifolium 

Sematophyllum 

tristiculum 

Sphagnum 

junghuhnianum 

Syrrhopodon 

flameonervis 

Syrrhopodon spiculosus 

Syrrhopodon 

trachyphyllus 

Taxithelium nepalense 

Tayloria indica 

Thuidium plumulosum 

Trichosteleum 

mammosum 

Taxa whose range 

extends into the 

Australian area 

Barbula cubensis 


Claopodium assurgens 

Ditrichum difficile 

Fissidens ceylonensis 


exiguum 


flabellatum 

Isopterygium albescens 

Leucobryum 

teysmannianum 



Lopidium struthiopteris 

Mitthyridium 

fasciculatum 


Powellia involutifolia 

Trichosteleum hamatum 

Vesicularia montagnei 

Vesicularia reticulata 

Taxa that occur in the 

Pacific Islands of Oceana 

Bryum giganteum 

Calymperes serratum 

Calymperes tahitense 

Calyptothecium 

urvilleanum 

Campylopus caudatus 

Dicranoloma blumii 

Distichophyllum mittenii 


dealbatum 


zollingeri 

Exostratum blumei 


Fissidens obscurirete 

Foreauella orthothecia 

Glossadelphus laevifolius 


exiguum 


flabellatum 

Homaliodendron scalpellifolium 


Leucobryum aduncum 

Leucobryum bowringii 

Leucobryum candidum 

Leucobryum 

teysmannianum 




Mitthyridium 

fasciculatum 


Plagiomnium rhynchophorum 

Plagiomnium rostratum 





Taxa that occur in the 

221

222 

Australian region 

Barbella cubensis 


Calymperes graeffanum 

Calymperes tahitense 

Claopodium assurgens 



exiguum 


flabellatum 


Leucobryum cabdidum 

Leucobryum 

teysmannianum 




Mitthyridium 

fasciculatum 


Pinnatella intralimbata 

Plagiomnium rhynchosporum 

Plagiomnium rostratum 


Syrrhopodon 

trachyphyllus 




Taxa with an Eastern 

Asia - Eastern North 

American distribution 

Barbella pendula 

Brothera leana 

Dicranodontium 

asperulum 

Entodon macropodus 

Erpodium biseriatum 

Hyophila involuta 

Fissidens microcladus 

Fissidens zollingeri 

Leucobryum glaucum 

Molendoa sendteriana 

Myurella sibirica 

Paraleucobryum enerve 

Pohlia proligera 

Schwetschkeopsis 

fabronia 

Syrrhopodon parasiticus 

Thuidium minutulum 

Pantropical taxa 

Bryum billarderi

Tropical component of the Moss Flora of China

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