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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Family: Bryophyta (mosses)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)

moss

Moss next to Contour Path, Kirstenbosch, Cape Town. [photo Hamish Robertson]

Families encountered in southern Africa

 Information from van Rooy (2003).

Amblystegiaceae

Seven genera and 10 species in southern Africa.

 

Andreaeaceae

One genus (Andreaea) with six species in southern Africa.

 

Anomodontaceae

Two genera and two species in southern Africa.

 

Archidiaceae

One genus (Archidium) and 11 species in southern Africa.  

 

Bartramiaceae

Seven genera and 23 species in southern Africa.

 

Brachytheciaceae

Eight genera and 21 species in southern Africa.

 

Bruchiaceae

Three genera and 10 species in southern Africa.

 

Bryaceae

Five genera and 36 species in southern Africa.

 

Bryobartramiaceae

One genus (Bryobartramia) and one species in southern Africa.

 

Calymperaceae

Three genera and six species in southern Africa.

 

Catagoniaceae

One genus and two species in southern Africa.

 

Cryphaeaceae

Two genera and three species in southern Africa.

 

Daltoniaceae

Two genera and three species in southern Africa.

 

Dicranaceae

Fifteen genera and 47 species in southern Africa.

 

Ditrichaceae

Nine genera and 17 species in southern Africa.

 

Encalyptaceae

One genus (Encalypta) and two species in southern Africa.

 

Endontaceae

Two genera and five species in southern Africa.

 

Ephemeraceae

Two genera and five species in southern Africa.

 

Erpodiaceae

Two genera and five species in southern Africa.

 

Eustichiaceae

One genus (Eustichia) and one species in southern Africa. 

 

Fabroniaceae

Four genera and thirteen species in southern Africa. 

 

Fissidentaceae

One genus (Fissidens) and 28 species in southern Africa. 

 

Fontinalaceae

One genus and two species species in southern Africa. 

 

Funariaceae

Seven genera and 16 species in southern Africa.

 

Gigaspermaceae

Three genera and three species in southern Africa. 

 

Grimmiaceae

Four genera and 15 species in southern Africa. 

 

Hedwigiaceae

Four genera and four species in southern Africa.

 

Hypnaceae

Seven genera and 23 species in southern Africa. 

 

Hypopterygiaceae

Two genera and two species in southern Africa.

 

Leptodontaceae

Two genera and two species in southern Africa. 

 

Leskeaceae

Five genera and 10 species in southern Africa. 

 

Leucobryaceae

One genus (Leucobryum) and three species in southern Africa. 

 

Leucodontaceae

Two genera and two species in southern Africa.

 

Meesiaceae

One genus (Leptobryum) and two species in southern Africa.

 

Meteoriaceae

Seven genera and seven species in southern Africa.

 

Mniaceae

Three genera and seven species in southern Africa.

 

Myriniaceae

One genus (Helicodontium) and one species in southern Africa.

 

Neckeraceae

Four genera and six species in southern Africa.

 

Orthodontiaceae

One genus (Orthodontium) and one species in southern Africa.

 

Orthotrichaceae

Eight genera and 29 species in southern Africa.

 

Pilotrichaceae

Four genera and four species in southern Africa.

 

Plagiotheciaceae

One genus (Plagiothecium) and two species in southern Africa.

 

Polytrichaceae

Five genera and 14 species in southern Africa.

 

Pottiaceae

Thirty-five genera 88 species in southern Africa.

 

Prionodontaceae

One genus (Prionodon) and one species in southern Africa.

 

Pterigynandraceae

One genus (Trachyphyllum) and one species in southern Africa.

 

Pterobryaceae

Three genera and six species in southern Africa.

 

Ptychomitriaceae

Two genera and 10 species in southern Africa.

 

Racopilaceae

One genus (Rhachithecium) and one species in southern Africa.

 

Rhachitheciaceae

One genus and one species in southern Africa.

 

Rhizogoniaceae

Two genera and three species in southern Africa.

 

Rigodiaceae

One genus (Rigodium) and one species in southern Africa.

 

Seligeriaceae

One species, Blindia magellanica, in southern Africa.

 

Sematophyllaceae

Five genera and 11 species in southern Africa.

 

Sphagnaceae

One genus with seven species in southern Africa.

 

Splachnaceae

One genus and two species in southern Africa.

 

Steriophyllaceae

Three genera and four species in southern Africa.

 

Thuidiaceae

Five genera and seven species in southern Africa.

 

Wardiaceae

One species, Wardia hygrometrica, in southern Africa.  

 

Publications

  • van Rooy, J. 2003. Bryophyta. In Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds), Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14: 1-37. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.