Locality: National Biodiversity Centre, Thimphu, Bhutan (27.332740, 90.439450)

Abstract: Of all the countries and states in the Himalayan region, Bhutan is probably one of the richest bryologically yet one of the least well-known. Few bryologists have had the opportunity to collect there. The Bhutan Himalaya forms a substantial part of the Eastern Himalaya with a huge elevation gradient from the low southern foothills with sub-tropical forests to the high northern Himalayas with alipine meadows. Its high variations of climatic and geographic factors contribute to high biodiversity. Over 5600 species of vascular plants occur in Bhutan, of which 423 are orchids including 54 species of new records (Gurung 2006) and some 46 species of Rhododenron (Flora of Bhutan 1991). The family of orchids, Orchidaceae, is the largest, followed by Poaceae, the grass family. Unlike neighboring states of India and Nepal, pteridophytes of Bhutan have remained largely unstudied.

A checklist is given of the mosses of Bhutan based on published reports. The present list attempts to gather together existing published data and to weed out some of the detectable erroneous records. This checklist presents 156 genera and 282 species, 44 erroneous and doubtful taxa are excluded. The name Breutelia setschwanica is applied to the only Himalayan member of the genus. The name Barbula [lavicans is proposed as an avowed substitute for the illegitimate Tortula [lavescens Hook. & Grev. (Barbula fuscescens C. Mull. nom. inval.)

Reference: Long, D.G. 1994. Mosses of Bhutan II*. A checklist of the mosses of Bhutan. Journal of Bryology 18(2):339-364. DOI: 10.1179/jbr.1994.18.2.339

Notes: Project supported by the United States Fulbright Scholar Program, Washington, D.C. (2017). The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.