Plant Science Research, Vol. 38, 2016

Bryoflora of Bhubaneswar and its adjoining areas

Thirty six species of bryophytes under 18 families and 20 genera were reported from different  localities of Bhubaneswar and its adjoining areas which, encompass 26 species of mosses  under 10 families and 13 genera, 8 species of liverworts under 5 families and 5 genera and  2 species of hornworts under 2 families and 2 genera during a study conducted for the period  from January to September, 2016. In terms of species richness, the botanical garden of Regional  Plant Resource Centre was found to be the most diverse as compared to Khandagiri and  Udayagiri hill and Chandaka-Dampara wildlife sanctuary. Pottiaceae, Fissidentaceae, Bryaceae,  Funariaceae and Ricciaceae were the dominant families in the study area. Three mosses such  as Archidium birmannicum Mitt. ex Dixon, Eurhynchium hians (Hedw.) Sande Lac. and Barbula  indica (Hook.) Spreng. were new distributional record for bryoflora of Odisha while Physcomitrium  pyriforme (Hedwig) Hampe, Ectropothecium cyperoides (Hook. ex Harv.) A. Jaeger, Dicranella  macrospora Gangulee, Bryum junghugianum Madhusoodanan and Eurhynchium striatulum  (Spruce) Schimp. were new record for Eastern Ghats of India. The present study provides base  line information on bryophytes for future bryological studies and bryomonitoring in Bhubaneswar.