More than one thousand species of hepatics have been recorded from Bolivia but many of these are erroneous and doubtful records, or synonyms. In this catalogue 415 species of liverworts, in 99 genera and 32 families, and 2 species of hornworts are accepted for the country. About 235 species are listed as erroneous or doubtful, needing verification, and 425 names are synonyms. The Bolivian liverwort flora is still very incompletely known and needs much more work. The distribution of the species in the country is very uneven. About 95% are recorded exclusively from the humid eastern slopes of the Andes or Yungas (Departments La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Beni), at elevations between 250-4500 m. Few species have been recorded from the Bolivian Tucuman forest and the lowlands of the Beni, and none from the dry Altiplano (Depts. Oruro, Potosi) and the Amazonian rain forests of Pando. A preliminary list of 17 species known only from Bolivia and 7 shared exclusively with Brazil, is provided. The new name Asterella alpina (Steph.) D. G. Long comb. nov. is proposed and Asterella boliviana (Steph.) A. Evans (=A. macropoda (Spruce) A. Evans, fide D. G. Long), Asterella fissisquama (Steph.) Hässel (=A. macropoda (Spruce) A. Evans, fide D. G. Long), Marsupella exigua Steph. (=Anastrophyllum tubulosum (Nees) Grolle, fide J. Vaña) and Marsupella pusilla Steph. (=Anastrophyllum auritum (Lehm.) Steph., fide J. Vaña) are new synonyms.

  Stolonivector waipouensis Engel, a new member of the Geocalycaceae from New Zealand, is described and illustrated. Included is a discussion of affinities with S. fiordlandiae (Hodgs.) Engel of New Zealand, the only other member of the genus.

  Nine species of Schistochila are represented in Asia: S. acuminata Steph., S. aligera (Nees & Blume) Jack & Steph., S. beccariana (De Not.) Trevis., S. blumei (Nees) Trevis., S. doriae (De Not.) Trevis., S. macrodonta W. E. Nicholson, S. nuda Horik., S. reinwardtii (Nees) Schiffn. and S. sciurea (Nees) Schiffn. Illustrations are given for S. aligera, S. beccariana, S. doriae, S. macrodonta and S. reinwardtii. Fourteen synonyms are proposed and a key to the species in Asia is provided. Schistochila neesii (Mont.) Lindb. and S. glaucescens (Hook.) A. Evans are excluded from this region.

  Forty four species belonging to 17 genera of Lejeuneaceae from the Himalaya (Bhutan, Nepal, West Bengal, and Sikkim) are enumerated, including nine new to the Himalaya: Acrolejeunea recurvata, Cheilolejeunea obtusifolia, Cololejeunea dozyana, C. pandei, C. planissima, C. tenella, Colura calyptrifolia, Lejeunea chinensis, and L. riparia. Detailed habitat data, various taxonomic notes, and distribution of each species are presented.

  There are 18 taxa of Fissidens known from Chile. A key to the taxa, descriptions, references to pertinent illustrations, and data on distribution and ecology are provided.

  We have been studying SOD isozymes in bryophytes, considered as the most primitive land plants, and reported that the chloroplastic SOD isozymes were different between the moss Barbula unguiculata and the liverwort Marchantia paleacea var. diptera, suggesting that the isozyme patterns reflect phylogenetic relationships among land plants (Yamahara et al., 1999a). Here we describe another physiological difference between the moss and the liverwort in the expressional regulation of chloroplastic Fe-SOD by Cu. In the moss, which has two isozymes, Fe-SOD and CuZn-SOD, in its chloroplasts, Fe-SOD activity was present in the cells cultured in 0 μM Cu but little activity at concentrations above 1 μM, whereas CuZn-SOD activities were observed at concentrations higher than 0.1 μM but little activity at 0 μM. In the liverwort, which has only Fe-SOD in its chloroplasts, the Fe-SOD activity is not influenced by Cu. Analysis of cDNA clones of both chloroplastic Fe-SOD and CuZn-SOD of the moss and a chloroplastic Fe-SOD of the liverwort revealed that they are typical chloroplastic SODs very comparable to those of phanerogams. Cu presence decreases the accumulation of gene transcripts for Fe-SOD, but increases that for CuZn-SOD in the moss, whereas it produces little effect on the gene for Fe-SOD in the liverwort. The phylogenetic implication of the results is discussed in relation to the evolution of Cu-mediated transcriptional regulation of chloroplastic Fe-SOD in land plants.

  101 species of pyrenocarpous lichens and related ascomycetes from Taiwan are reported. All but five are new to Taiwan. The following species are new to science: Epigloea sparrii, Navicella diabola and Pyrenula laii. Several represent considerable range extensions: Lithothelium submuriforme, Placidiopsis hypothallina, Polymeridium campylothelioides, Porina papuensis, P. ulceratula, Staurothele pallidopora, Strigula muriformis, Verrucaria aucklandica and V. phaeoderma are all new to the Northern Hemisphere. Several other species, e.g. Agonimia opuntiella, Chromatochlamys muscorum, Endocarpon adscendens, E. simplicatum, Lithothelium triseptatum, Porina africana, P. hibernica, Psoroglaena cubensis, Strigula jamesii, Thelidium pluvium, Thelocarpon olivaceum, Verrucaria fusconigrescens, V. microsporoides, V. pinguicula and V. prominula are apparently new to (East) Asia.

  Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and chlorophyll a+b concentrations, as well as chlorophyll a/b ratios and assessment of chlorophyll a integrity (OD 435/OD 415, OD 665/OD 665 after acidification) were determined in order to compare the effects of copper, cobalt and mercury on five populations of the lichen Cetraria islandica and one population of the lichen Flavocetraria cucullata. Treatment with copper decreased chlorophyll a concentration. The effect of cobalt on chlorophyll a concentrations was not clear. Of all metals compared, mercury caused the greatest reduction in chlorophyll a concentration in both species. Copper caused statistically significant concentration dependent increase in chlorophyll b concentration. Mercury exposure consistently decreased chlorophyll b concentrations. In general, chlorophyll a+b content was not affected so strongly in our short-term experiments. Copper caused the highest reduction of chlorophyll a/b ratios in all lichen samples tested. Of all applied metals, mercury had the greatest effect on chlorophyll a integrity (measured as OD 435/OD 415). The ratio OD 665/OD 665 after acidification was sensitive to the presence of metals and decreased in response to mercury as well as cobalt. It was interesting that copper did not cause a significant decrease in OD 665/OD 665* in lichens with a history of copper exposure. In lichens without a copper history, experimentally introduced copper caused a significant decrease in the ratio OD 665/OD 665* at 10 mM, highest applied concentration.

  The concentration of chlorophyll a in Cetraria islandica was strongly dependent on age and physiological activity of different parts of individual thalli. The younger, apical and lateral peripheral parts, which are considered metabolically more active, had a significantly higher amount of chlorophyll a (about 2.3-6 fold) than older basal parts of the thallus.

  The effect of white, red, yellow, green and blue light on the size of phyco- and photobiont cells of 9 lichen species from Knyszyńska Forest were investigated in laboratory conditions. Measurement of the phyco- and photobionts under the microscope shows three size groups of cells: young cells, fully grown vegetative cells and autosporangia. The light producing with highest percentage of young cells was considered to be the most favourable light for phyco- and photobiont cell propagation: white in the case of Hypogymnia physodes; white and red in Cladonia furcata; white and yellow in Peltigera canina; white, red and yellow in Pseudevernia furfuracea; red, blue and green in Xanthoria parietina; green in Cetraria islandica, Evernia prunastri, Platismatia glauca, and blue and green in Ramalina fraxinea.

  Due to the increasing threats from intensive agriculture, forestry, development, habitat loss and tourism, the bryophyte flora of Europe continues to decline because of destructive human activities. One way to counteract this deterioration is an increased co-operation between scientists, politicians and the general public. In 1990 the European Committee for Conservation of Bryophytes (ECCB) established a list of 26 bryophyte species in need of conservation measures and submitted it to the Bern Convention committee (Council of Europe). All 26 species were subsequently accepted as conservation priority species. The aim of the ECCB is to highlight bryophytes in general in the nature conservation work throughout Europe, and to increase the publicity about threatened bryophyte species and their habitats. The species were selected in such a way that a wide range of European regions and habitats were represented. The Bern Convention, however, is not a forcing legislation. Therefore very little happened until 1992, when most of the species were also added to the list of protected species in the European Community Directive. After that, considerable progress has been made within the 15 individual countries of the European Union with regard to implementation of the legislation as well as practical conservation measures. A more detailed account of this is the topic of this article.

  Pogonatum dentatum has spread from the mountains down to the lowland areas of Fennoscandia during the second half of the 20th century. In order to understand the reason for this expansion, different aspects of the life history are being studied. Males mature in their second year in both areas, and males are smaller than females at maturity. Females in the mountains reach maturity (spore production) in their third year compared with the second year for lowland plants, but there is no difference in reproductive investment. There is a tendency for lowland plants to produce more but smaller spores compared with mountain plants, but the difference is non-significant for both traits due to large variation within both habitats. Establishment from spores and leaves seems to be a rare event in the mountains but occurs frequently in the lowland. A diaspore bank is important only in the presence of a regular disturbance regime at intervals shorter than the longevity of diaspores and P. dentatum diaspores are short-lived.

  In the mountains, disturbance recurs at such short intervals that spores may establish from the diaspore bank. In the lowland, however, disturbance is less predictable in time and the ability to track newly created habitat patches by a large production of small spores and a high establishment rate is essential. The time for the start of the expansion can thus be explained by the creation of new man-made habitats where the critical area/population size was reached at the same time as the distance dispersal between habitats was reduced to fall within the acceptable range for P. dentatum.

  The Entodontaceae is characterised by erect capsules with inset and substantially reduced peristomes. Differences in peristome morphology and ornamentation delimit both genera and species within the family. The Entodontaceae, as presently recognised, consists of four genera, Entodon, Erythrodontium, Mesonodon and Pylaisiobryum, which show a variety of peristome ornamentation patterns, and exhibit differing levels of peristome reduction. This variation encompasses an unusual combination of structurally reduced peristomes, which retain massive exostome ornamentation, and residual peristome function. As part of a taxonomic revision of the family in Africa, generic patterns of peristome reduction and ornamentation are described. Inter- and intra-specific variation patterns of both the exostome and endostome have been investigated using detailed SEM studies of material from Africa and beyond. Structural reduction of the peristome is associated with high levels of intraspecific variation in peristome ornamentation patterns. Common trends in these patterns of variation are identified within the family. Putative hybrid sporophytes have been identified in Entodon, and the taxonomic implications of these observations are considered for a family where species delimitation has in the past often depended on minor variation in peristome structure or ornamentation patterns.

  Among 145 taxa of the genus Ptychomitrium recorded in the world, 41 species have been confirmed based on the authors' revisional study. Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Systematic Clustering Analysis based on the distribution data of the genus Ptychomitrium showed that 17 geographical units in the world could be divided into four distribution regions: Region 1 including Am6, Am5, Afr2, Afr4, Aus1 and Aus2, Region 2 including Am4, Am3, Am2, Am1, As1, As2, Eur, Afr1 and Oc (Hawaiian), Region 3 including Afr3 and Region 4 including As3. The floristic characteristics of the four regions were also analyzed. The results show that the flora of the genus Ptychomitrium between North and South Hemisphere are obviously different. The species with entire leaves are dominant in South Hemisphere originating from Gondwana, while those with dentate leaves are mainly distributed in North Hemisphere originating from Laurasia.

  183 mosses are recorded for Bangladesh, 92% of them in common with India. The paper discusses the degree of relationship with neighbouring areas, and provides an updated checklist of the mosses.

  The mosses of Pakistan are enumerated by the literature published up to 2001. The moss flora of Pakistan comprises 339 taxa in 124 genera and 33 families. The southern and southwestern Pakistan (Sindh and Balochistan) has not been bryologically well explored. The mosses of Pakistan are largely circumboreal, although the Eurasian element is also prominent. It has 43 endemic taxa (ca. 13%) and a rich representation of the family Pottiaceae including 23 genera and 63 species. The floristic relationships of mosses between Pakistan and the neighboring areas are discussed.

  The moss flora of Sri Lanka is comparatively rich (561 taxa) with a high level (11%) of endemism. This paper looks at the origin of the flora and relationships with neighbouring areas. Despite its Gondwanan origin, and proximity to India, there is a very strong link with Indochina and Malesia as well as with the Indian sub-continent.

  Observations on clumps of Phascum cuspidatum during the summer and autumn indicated that this species is at least a short-lived perennial, as young shoots develop from old, brown shoots persisting from the previous winter. No young shoots arising by vegetative propagation were recorded in Pottia truncata. Rhizoid tubers were observed in this species, but only in one of the many clumps examined. Spores of both species germinated freely in culture, but when spores were planted in the field young gametophytes developed inconsistently in P. truncata and never in P. cuspidatum. An investigation of spore deposition around an isolated clump of P. truncata suggested that 67% of the spores released were deposited within the clump, and 70% within 2 m. Electrophoretic studies indicated limited genetic variation within two populations of each species, with no genotypes in common between the populations. No genetic variation was recorded between gametophytes within individual clumps of either species, nor between sporophytes and their maternal gametophytes, suggesting a high incidence of inbreeding in these monoecious mosses.

  Dispersal ability is of a great importance for bryophytes, which commonly occupy spatially limited habitat patches. Distance dispersal of bryophytes has been thought to take place primarily by spores. However, another potential mechanism is dispersal by diaspores which are not produced by meiosis following sexual reproduction, such as gemmae or leaf fragments, but there has been rather limited information on the distances and frequencies such propagules travel. In the present paper, we summarise what is known of the spatial and temporal dispersal of asexual bryophyte propagules. Based on previous studies and on our own investigations, it is evident that asexual propagules may have a significant role in the dynamic processes of bryophyte populations.

  Recent discoveries that have been facilitated by phytochemical studies based on NMR and GC-MS profiling include: (1) Plagiochila atlantica of Europe belongs to the Neotropical P. sect. Fuscoluteae; (2) the Central American P. retrorsa occurs in North America as well as Madeira and the Azores; (3) the Neotropical P. stricta occurs in the Canary Islands; (4) the South American P. papillifolia Steph. occurs in the Azores. Phytochemical data support taxonomic changes involving varieties of the Neotropical P. rutilans. Plagiochila species in Europe (including Macaronesia) may be classified into two chemotypes, characterised by 2,3-secoaromadendranes on the one hand and aromatic compounds on the other.