Bryophyte novelties from the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra Island

Abstract

Based on unedited bryophyte collections from the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra Island, six new records of mosses are reported for the area. New to the Arabian Peninsula are Pohlia elongata and Ptychostomum cernuum, the remaining four species are new records for Saudi Arabia, resp. Yemen (mainland) and the Socotra Archipelago. Most interesting is Hymenostylium hildebrandtii from the Makkah-Taif area, indicating the influence of the south-western monsoon rainfall far to the north. All taxa show major range extensions in Southwest Asia and contribute to the floristic diversity of the Arabian Peninsula.