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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 In addition to the so far unpublished results of recent collections, a complete survey of the bryophyte flora of the Cape Verde Islands is given.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.
During the BRYOTROP-Expedition to Zaire and Rwanda bryophytes were collected from a rainforest habitat at 800 m a.s.l. and from bamboo forest and tree-heath environments between 2200 and 3200 m. The microclimates influencing the mosses are different at the altitudinally separated locations. Conditions are rather constant with 24 °C, 100 % rel. hum. and PAR below 100 μmol photons m-2 sec-1 at the lowland station, rather versatile in the mountains with six times higher daily sums of PAR, temperatures between 10 and 25 °C and relative humidities between 60 and 1oo %. In the bamboo forest epiphytic mosses dry out during the day to less than 70 % of their water content, but regain saturation from the vapor-saturated air during night. Bryophyte photosynthesis and respiration were studied by Warburg manometry with moisture saturated samples. Temperature curves of gas exchange peaked between 22 and 30 °C. Optima of the lowland species were somewhat higher than those from samples collected at the mountain sites. Habitat separation of characteristics of photosynthesis was more pronounced with respect to light responses. Saturation gas exchange rates were reached by all species still below 400 μmol photons m-2 sec-1. But the slopes of the curves in the low-light range were distinctly steeper, and the light compensation points smaller in the lowland than in the highland species (compensation points of the former: 3 - 12 μmol photons m-2 sec-1, of the latter: 8 - 20 μmol photons m-2 sec-1). It is emphasized that bryophytes in the rainforest understory experience extremely high ambient C02 concentrations near the floor. This, their low light requirements for photosynthesis, and the permanently optimal temperature and humidity conditions for maximal carbon gain enable them to live successfully, but with less biomass development in this dark and damp environment. By contrast, bryophytes from the bamboo forest and tree-heath environments can utilize light conditions combined with variable temperatures and humidities similarly as species from extratropical vegetation types.