Bryophyte diversity along the Eastern Arc

Abstract

The Eastern Arc Mountains possess a bryoflora with high species diversity (about 700 species are known-more than in Uganda). The proportion of endemism (altogether 32 species, 4.57 %) is not high compared to phanerogams, but is high when compared with the bryoflora of similar areas. Monotypic endemic genera are Cladolejeunea and Neorutenbergia. Cladolejeunea aberrans (Steph.) Zwickel occurs in the Usambaras and Neorutenbergia usagarae (Dix.) Biz. et Pócs is distributed throughout the Eastern Arc. The latter is a representative of Rutenbergiaceae family with its other members living in Madagascar and on the Mascarene Islands. One notable feature of the bryoflora is the high number (45 species, 6.43 %) of Lemurian (Madagascan) species, which is most apparent in the Uluguru Mountains (40 species, 8.16 %). The bryoflora of the Usambara and Uluguru Mountains is well known. We know much less about the Pare, Nguru and Ukaguru Mountains and the bryoflora of Udzungwa Mountains is practically unexplored.

Journal of East African Natural History Vol. 87 (1&2) 1998: pp. 75-84