Open Access

Jan-Peter Frahm, Anja Lindlar, Philip Sollman, Eberhard Fischer

• Almost 450 specimens of bryophytes, so far the largest collection of bryophytes ever made on the Cape Verde Islands, were collected in 1995 by the second author on the major islands of the archipelago. Twenty seven species (3 hepatics, 24 mosses) are reported as new to the Cape Verde Islands: Lejeunea ulicina (Tayl.) Gottsche et al., Riccia cavernosa Hoffm. emend. Raddi, Targionia hypophylla L., Barbula cf. consanguinea (Thwait. & Mitt.) Jaeg., Barbula unguiculata Hedw., Brachymenium exile (Dozy & Molk.) Bosch. & Lac., Bryoerythrophyllum ferruginascens (Stirt.) Giac., Bryoerythrophyllum inaequalifolium (Tayl.) Zander, Bryum cellulare Hook., Chenia leptophylla (C. Müll.) Zander, Desmatodon bogosicus C. Müll., Didymodon australasiae (Hook. & Grev.) Zander, Didymodon maschalogena (Ren. & Card.) Broth. (Didymodon michiganensis [Steere] K. Saito), Didymodon vinealis (Brid.) Zander var. flaccidus (B.S.G.) Zander, Eurhynchium meridionale (B.S.G.) De Not., Eurhynchium speciosum (Brid.) Jur., Fissidens sciophyllus Mitt., F. bogosicus C. Müll., F. flaccidus Mitt., F. helictocaulos C. Müll., Gymnostomiella cf. vernicosa (Hook.) Fleisch., Gymnostomum calcareum Nees & Hornsch., Hyophila involuta (Hook.) Jaeg., Orthotrichum diaphanum Brid., Tortula cuneifolia (With.) Turn., Tortula laevipila (Brid.) Schwaegr. and Weissia microstoma (Hedw.) C. Müll. The doubtful record of Marchantia paleacea Bertol. could be confirmed. Numerous species are recorded as new to single islands. Tortula pierrotii Biz. described from Tanzania has proved to be synyomous with Bryoerythrophyllum inaequalifolium. Didymodon maschalogena (Ren. & Card.) Broth. is an older name for Didymodon michiganensis (Steere) K. Saito. A study of types of species described as endemic to the Cape Verde Islands revealed that Barbula bolleana (C. Müll.) Broth. is an earlier name for Hydrogonium bolleanum (C. Müll.) Jaeg., Barbula elliottii Broth., Barbula kivuensis Leroy & P. de la Varde and Barbula madagassa Ren. & Card. are synonymous with the latter, Hyophila crenulata C. Müll. ex Dus. var. brevifolia Bizot is synonymous with Hyophila involuta (Hook.), Barbula sulcata Geh. is synonymous with B. convoluta Hedw. and Tortula subcaroliniana Bizot is synonymous with Tortula amphidiacea (C. Müll.) Broth. In addition to the so far unpublished results of recent collections, a complete survey of the bryophyte flora of the Cape Verde Islands is given. A hundred and sixty two species (2 species of hornworts, 36 species of hepatics and 124 species of mosses) are so far known from this archipelago.