Bryophytes New to New Mexico

Abstract

Eighteen bryophytes, including Bryum pyriferum Crundw. & Whiteh. new to North America, are added to the flora of New Mexico. Recent collecting in the southern and central parts of the state adds 15 mosses and one liverwort to the bryoflora, while herbarium studies and an overlooked literature report account for the other two additions. Recent studies on the bryoflora of New Mexico have revealed 18 taxa new to the state, including one species new to North America. Collecting in the central (Torrance County) and the southern (Dona Ana and Sierra counties) parts of the state in 1979-80 by Talbot and Todsen resulted in 15 additions to the list of mosses by Mahler (1978) and one addition to the liverworts reported by Shields (1954) and Bird (1960). Much of the collecting was done in the White Sands Missile Range in eastern Dona Ana and Sierra counties, where few botanists have collected since the range was established. While the moss collections were being identified, a specimen of Grimmia rauii that is new to New Mexico was discovered in CANM. It also was found that a New Mexico collection of Plagiothecium denticulatum reported by Ireland (1969) had been omitted from Mahler's (1978) list. All specimens from the 1979-80 season were collected in calcareous habitats except Neckera pennata var. tenera (granitic), Phascum cuspidatum (granitic), Tortella humilis (epiphytic, T8003-44), and Tortula obtusissima (epiphytic, T8005-25; granitic, T8002-3, T8003-26, T8004-4). Collections were made within a variety of plant communities and included: ponderosa pine forest of Manzano Mountains; oak-pine woodland of Salinas Peak; juniper-pinyon woodland of Salinas Peak; Fraxinus velutina canyon, Ash Canyon, and creosote bush-grassland in the Shalam Hills. The bryoflora of New Mexico is thus far known to be similar to that of adjacent Arizona (Haring 1961) as one might suspect. The aridity of both states is reflected by the occurrence of a high number of xerophytic taxa, which are characteristic of the American Southwest. However, much more collecting needs to be done in New Mexico. The list of mosses known from the state now contains 189 taxa, including those reported here, compared to almost twice that number reported for Arizona. The mosses were identified by the senior author, and the liverwort by Linda Ley. The nomenclature of the Hepaticae is basically that of Stotler and Crandall-Stotler (1977) and the Musci is that of Crum et al. (1973). Voucher specimens are deposited in duplicate in CANM and the private herbarium of Talbot.