Open Access

Shirley Rangel Germano, Kátia Cavalcanti Pôrto

• A bryophyte checklist of the Ecological Reserve of Gurjaú (08º10’00'’-08º15’00"S; 35º02’30"- 35º05’00"W), a remnant of the Atlantic Forest in the State of Pernambuco, has been compiled. The Reserve covers an area of approximately 1362 ha, including several forest fragments of diverse sizes and stages of conservation. Specimens collected during the years 2000 and 2001, and voucher specimens from the UFP Herbarium at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) were analyzed. Bryophytes were collected on live and dead trunks, rocks, leaves and soil. The studied bryoflora is composed of 53 species of liverworts, 37 species of mosses and one hornwort. Among the twenty-three registered families, Lejeuneaceae (41 spp.) was the most representative one with the highest generic and specific richness, which confirms its status as predominant in tropical rain forests. Fissidens (7 spp.), Lejeunea and Cheilolejeunea (6 spp.), and Calymperes (4 spp.) were the most representative genera. The studied bryoflora is predominantly composed of species of neotropical distribution, widely spread throughout Brazil. The presence of an endemic species of the Atlantic Forest, Vitalianthus bichlerianus (Pôrto & Grolle) Schust. & Giancotti, and some other exclusively Brazilian species, e.g., Riccardia regnellii (Ängstr.) Hell have been recorded from the site.