New Liverwort (Marchantiophyra) records for the Fiji Islands

Forty-eight species of liverworts (Marchantiophyta) are reported as new to the Fiji Islands. These records increase the number of Fijian liverworts by over 20%. Extension of range within Fiji are reported for an additional 39 taxa already known to occur within the Fijian archipelago. These records indicate that the Fijian flora is understudied and many localities in Fiji, including entire islands, remain under-collected for bryophytes. Metalejeunea crassitexta (J.B.Jack et Steph.) Pocs is proposed as a new combination, and Lejeunea microstipula Steph. is reduced to a synonym of Lejeunea exilis (Reinw., Blume et Nees) Grolle

A new species of Encephalartos (Zamiaceae) from Tanzania.

Encephalartos kanga sp. nov. is described from Mount Kanga, an isolated hill of the Nguru Mountains within the crystalline, Precambrian Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. The new species is distinguished by its spinose distal leaflet-shoulders with otherwise entire median leaflet margins and by the sharply tuberculate-dentate proximal side of the seminal ridge of the female cone scales. Journal of East African Natural History Vol. 96 (2) 2007 pp. 193-20

Analysis of possible interfacial water driven seepages in Mars

Based on observations and theoretical considerations, seepage-like structures on polar dunes emanate from Dark Dune Spots are probably caused by interfacial water at subzero temperatures

A brief history of the cryptogams of Fiji and prospects for the future

A brief history of Fijian cryptogams, including bryophytes, ferns and lycophytes, and lichenised fungi is provided. Brief comments on the future prospects for the systematic and conservation of these groups of organisms are provided. An overview of the six Fijian contributions is also provided. In contrast to many other biodiversity hotspots, the current study highlights our limited floristic knowledge of the Fijian cryptogams

Results on the survival of cryptobiotic cyanobacteria samples after exposure to Mars-like environmental conditions

Tests on cyanobacteria communities embedded in cryptobiotic crusts collected in hot and cold deserts on Earth were performed under Mars-like conditions. The simulations were realized as a survey, to find the best samples for future research. During the tests organisms have to resist Mars-like conditions such as atmospheric composition, pressure, variable humidity (saturated and dry conditions) and partly strong UV irradiation. Organisms were tested within their original habitat inside the crust. Nearly half of the cryptobiotic samples from various sites showed survival of a substantial part of their coexisting organisms. The survival in general depended more on the nature of the original habitat and type of the sample than on the different conditions they were exposed to. The best survival was observed in samples from United Arab Emirates (Jebel Ali, 25 km SW of Dubai town) and from Western Australia (near the South edge of Lake Barley), by taxa: Tolypothrix byssoidea, Gloeocapsopsis pleurocapsoides, Nostoc microscopicum, Leptolyngbya or Symploca sp. At both places in salty desert areas members of the Chenopodiaceae family dominated among the higher plants and in the cryptobiotic crust cyanobacterial taxa Tolypothrix was dominant. These organisms were all living in salty locations with dry conditions most of the year. Among them Tolypothrix, Gloeocapsopsis and Symploca sp. were tested in Mars simulation chambers for the first time. The results suggest that extremophiles should be tested with taken into account the context of their original microenvironment, and also the importance to analyse communities of microbes beside single organisms

Additions to the bryoflora of Reunion Island 3: new and interesting records from the Tropical Bryology Group (British Bryological Society)

This contribution is a result of collaborative work based on the fieldwork organized during a workshop of the Tropical Bryology Group on Mascarene bryophytes in September 2008, and also from previous unpublished records of the authors. We add 35 new taxon records (17 mosses and 18 liverworts) as well as five other interesting records for Re´union Island (Mascarene Archipelago). Grimmia austrofunalis Mu¨ll.Hal., Sphagnum magellanicum Brid. subsp. magellanicum, Didymodon tectorum (Mu¨ll.Hal.) K. Saito, Anastrophyllum revolutum Steph. and Lejeunea exilis (Reinw. et al.) Grolle are reported for the first time for Africa. Syrrhopodon vardei L.T.Ellis, Ceratolejeunea papuliflora Steph. and Xylolejeunea grolleana (Po´cs) X.-L. He & Grolle, previously known as endemic from Madagascar, are here recorded for Re´union. The latter species is also illustrated with SEM pictures