New and rare moss species from the Antarctic

Twenty-six species and one variety of moss are reported from Antarctica. Of these, 22 species and one variety are recorded for the first time from the Antarctic, namely Aloina brevirostris (Hook. & Grev.) Kindb., Amphidium lapponicum (Hedw.) Bruch & Schimp., Bryum nivale Mull. Hal., Bucklandiella didyma (Mont.) Bednarek-Ochyra & Ochyra, B. pachydictyon (Cardot) Bednarek-Ochyra & Ochyra, B. subsecunda (Harv.) Bednarek-Ochyra & Ochyra, Campylopus vesticaulis Mitt., Dicranella varia (Hedw.) Schimp., D. campylophylla (Taylor) Broth., Distichium inclinatum (Hedw.) Bruch & Schimp., Ditrichum conicum (Mont.) Mitt., D. hyalinocuspidatum Cardot, Drepanocladus longifolius (Mitt.) Paris, Dryptodon fuscoluteus (Hook.) Ochyra & Zarnowiec, Funaria hygrometrica Hedw., Guembelia longirostris (Hook.) Ochyra & Zarnowiec, Polytrichastrum longisetum (Brid.) G.L.Sm., Racomitrium lanuginosum (Hedw.) Brid., Schistidium praemorsum (Mull.Hal.) Herzog, Syntrichia caninervis Mitt. var. caninervis and var. gypsophila (G.Roth) Ochyra Tortella fragilis (Drumm.) Limpr., and Willia austroleucophaea (Belch.) Broth. The moss flora of Antarctica is currently estimated to comprise 111 species. Distichium inclinatum, Dicranella varia and Syntrichia caninervis are recorded for the first time from the Southern Hemisphere and are established as bipolar species, while Ditrichum conicum and Hennediella heimii have recently been found in the South Sandwich Islands, Ditrichum heteromallum is reported for the first time from the South Shetland Islands, and Pterygoneurum ovatum (Hedw.) Dixon has been discovered on James Ross Island on the eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.