Diversity and distribution of Bryophytes of Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Five years field explorations in the state of Andhra Pradesh resulted into the documentation of 303 taxa of bryophytes representing 299 species and one subspecies and two varieties belonging to 119 genera and 50 families. Of these, thalloid Hepaticae comprises 51 species belonging to 13 genera and 9 families; foliose Hepaticae comprises 34 species belonging to 19 genera and 9 families; Anthoceratae comprises three species belonging to three genera and two families; acrocarpous mosses comprise 136 taxa belonging to 134 species, 44 genera and 13 families; pleurocarpous mosses comprise of 79 species belonging to 39 genera and 17 families. Systematic enumeration of all the taxa in a tabular form and critical analysis of bryophyte diversity of the state of Andhra Pradesh is presented.