Ten moss species - Thamnobryum plicatulum (Lac.) Iwats., Ditrichum pallidum (Hedw.) Hampe, Brachythecium moriense Besch., Eurhynchium hians (Hedw.) Lac., Atrichum undulatum (Hedw.) P. Beauv., Bryum coronatum Schwaegr., Pseudoleskeopsis zippelii (Dozy & Molk.) Broth., Weissia controversa Hedw., Trichosteleum mammosum (C. Muell.) Jaeg. and Vesicularia reticulata (Dozy & Molk.) Broth. are reported new to Hong Kong. Among them, seven are new to Guangdong Province of China

So, M.L.

Yip, K.L.

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11Tropical Bryology 10: 11-13, 1995Mosses New to Hong Kong  (II)M.L.So and K.L.YipBiology Department, Hong Kong Baptist College, 224 Waterloo Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong.Abstract.    Ten moss species - Thamnobryum plicatulum (Lac.) Iwats.,  Ditrichum pallidum (Hedw.)Hampe,  Brachythecium moriense Besch.,  Eurhynchium hians  (Hedw.) Lac.,  Atrichum undulatum(Hedw.) P. Beauv.,  Bryum coronatum Schwaegr.,  Pseudoleskeopsis zippelii (Dozy & Molk.) Broth.,Weissia controversa Hedw.,  Trichosteleum mammosum (C. Muell.) Jaeg. and Vesicularia reticulata(Dozy & Molk.) Broth. are reported new to Hong Kong.  Among them, seven are new to GuangdongProvince of China.Following a half-year preliminary investigation oflocal mosses and liverworts conducted during thesummer of 1993, a continued search turned upmore species new to Hong Kong.  Most of themwere found at an altitude of 500 m in the vicinity ofa waterfall.  Water is plentiful most of the year,especially during the summer months.  Even duringthe dry winter months, the rocks around thewaterfalls remain wet.  The mosses are mostlyepilithic and are often splashed by water.The new records are listed below:Since Hong Kong is part of the GuangdongProvince of China, those new to Guangdong aremarked with an asterisk.Brachytheaceae*Brachythecium moriense Besch.This creeping moss is light green in colour withprostrate stems producing numerous brancheswhich creep over almost any object as it grows.  Itis especially abundant in a shaded area at the topof Tai Mo Shan (980m), twining around trees,creeping over stones and forming dense mats onthe forest floor.  The stem leaves are appressedand concave, with a tapering tip.  Branch leaves arelanceloate, also concave, with costa reaching justover half the length of the lamina.  No capsule wasobserved.(So 93928J Verified by S.H. Lin.)*Eurhynchium hians (Hedw.) Lac.12This delicate creeping moss was abundant at anelevation of 500m, covering rock surfaces in streamand forming a dense mass.  It is continuouslywetted by water.  The stem is fairly robust, onlysparingly covered by leaves.  However, thebranches are densely leaved.  Leaf margins areserrated, and the costa extends to near the leafapex.  No capsule was found.(So 94208H Verified by P.C. Wu)BryaceaeBryum coronatum  Schwaegr.This is one of the common species of Bryum foundlocally.  It is found almost everywhere, oftentogether with two other common mosses Hyophilainvoluta and Barbula indica.  It can be seen inurban areas, exposed to bright light and as well asat high altitudes in forested habitats.  These smallmosses occur in green dense tufts and even largecushion-like masses closely adhered to thesubstratum.  The stem is about 5 mm long and thestem leaves are spirally arranged forming a rosettewhen viewed from the surface.(So 93710B Verified by S.H. Lin)Ditrichaceae* Ditrichum pallidum (Hedw.) HampeThis species makes its appearance only during thecold winter season (Jan.-March.) and usually di-sappears in summer.  It is not very common and hasbeen seen at an elevation of 300-500 m on sandysoil in large patches of light green tufts.  The stemreaches 10 mm long, bearing erect, filiform, lightgreen leaves along its length.  The leaves are thinexcept at the base and the costa is broad, longexcurrent, occupying most of the lamina.  Capsules(2 mm) borne on a long seta (20 mm) are suberect,cylindrical and slightly asymmetric, becomingreddish brown when mature and the peristometeeth are twisted above.  The calyptra is rather long(3 mm) when compared to the size of the capsule;pale in colour.(So 94131A Verified by P.C. Wu)HypnaceaeVesicularia reticulata  (Dozy & Molk.) Broth.This is a very common species which is oftenfound in large masses on moist rocks.  It ischaracterized by having complanate leaves, oftenglossy and yellowish green.  The creeping stembears pinnate branches.  The stem leaves arebroadly ovate.  The branch leaves are also broadlyovate with an obscure costa.  The pendent capsu-les are borne on a seta 15 mm long.  The operculumhas a short beak.(So 94110D Verified by P.C. Wu)Leskeaceae* Pseudoleskeopsis zippelii (Dozy & Molk.)Broth.This is a very common species of creeping mosswhich is found at an elevation of 500 m on rocksnear a waterfall, continuously dripped by water.Often it grows together with Racopilum aristatumand Hypnum plumaeforme in large patches.  Theplant is robust and murky in colour, with longcreeping stems which branch profusely.  The stemleaves are broadly lanceolate, but branch leavesare incurved.  The seta varies from 10-20 mm inlength, and the capsules are oblong in shape.  Thecalyptra is 3 mm in length.(So 94208C Verified by P.C. Wu)Polytrichaceae* Atrichum undulatum  (Hedw.) P. Beauv.This is not a common species and was found at thebottom of a waterfall at 500 m.  It forms a thick masson the surface of moist rocks, continuouslysplashed by water.  The leaves are dark green, veryrobust and crowded around the erect stems (2 cmtall), especially at the tip.  The leaves are lanceolatein shape and the lamina has a characteristic "rip-pled" appearance.  Margins are bordered by tworows of linear cells, and the costa is percurrent.(So 94208F Verified by P.C. Wu)Pottiaceae* Weissia controversa  Hedw.13This is a rather common species of erect mosswhich can be found at an elevation of 100 m to 500m on soil banks, exposed to bright light.  Often theleaves are found to be incurved in a claw-likefashion around the stem.  The stem is 5 mm long,bearing spirally arranged light green leaves whichare linear lanceolate in shape; leaf margins areslightly involute and the costa is excurrent.  Thismoss bears abundant capsules which are erect,ovoid, brown in colour when mature.  The seta is10 mm long.(So 94131B Verified by Z. Iwatsuki)SematophyllaceaeTrichosteleum mammosum  (C. Muell.)  Jaeg.This moss forms a compact mass on rotten logs atan elevation of 300 m.  The leaves are dull green incolour, and not glossy at all.  The stems areprostrate, bearing closely arranged erect leaveswhich are ovate in shape, tapering at the tip.Margins are entire but laminal cells have very finepapillae, and also a distinct border.  Alar cells arethree in number, oblong, uniformly thickened, andmuch longer than the cells at the leaf base.  Theseta is 5 mm long, bearing a pendent capsule witha smooth calyptra.(So 94131E Verified by P.C. Wu)Thamnobyaceae* Thamnobryum plicatulum (Lac.) Iwats.This is one of the few large epilithic mosses foundin Hong Kong.  It is not very common and has beenobserved in deep shade near a stream at anelevation of 800 M and also at an elevation of 600M on a large moist rock.  The plant is green incolour and slightly glossy.  The secondary stemis erect and 60 mm long, bearing a complanatefrond above a stipitate base.  The stipe bears smallovate leaves.  Secondary stem leaves are alsoovate; margins slightly toothed.  The costa isslender and extends just beneath the tip.  Nocapsule was observed.(So 94208B  Verified by P.C. Wu)Conclusion1.The bryoflora in Hong Kong is still an unex-plored territory, welcoming any student inter-ested in the mosses and liverworts.2.All of the mosses described in this shortpaper were collected during the winter months(Dec.-Jan.) where the temperatures rangedbetween 12-18 oC.3.A waterfall at an elevation of 500 m in the NewTerritories of Hong Kong is a special havenfor a number of rare moss species.4.An indepth search for mosses may revealmore rare species.Acknowledgements.  We thank Professor P.C Wu ofthe Herbarium, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy ofSciences for his help in verifying most of the speciescollected; to Dr. S.H. Lin of the Biology Department ofTunghai University of Taiwan for his assistance inidentifying two moss species; to Professor Zen Iwatsukifor his tremendous help in identifying and verifying someof the species, and finally to Dr. S. Rob Gradstein, Editorof Tropical Bryology for his invaluable advice.ReferencesDixon H.N.  1933.  Mosses of Hong Kong with otherChinese mosses.  The Hong Kong Naturalist Supple-ment 2: 1-31.Noguchi A.  1987-1994.  Illustrated Moss Flora of Japan.Parts 1-5.14

Mosses new to Hong Kong (2)

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