BRYOPHYTE FLORA OF GREATER MYMENSINGH DISTRICT OF BANGLADESH- CLASS: HEPATICOPSIDA AND ANTHOCEROTOPSIDA

The greater Mymensingh district of Bangladesh, particularly the hilly areas are rich in Bryophyte flora. The present paper on class Hepaticopsida (Liverworts) and Anthocerotopsida (Hornworts) represents primary as well as secondary data collection and includes an account of 48 species under 12 genera, nine families and four orders. An alphabetic arrangement of taxa with short description, habitats, localities, names of collectors with dates and collection numbers are provided. Introduction The greater Mymensingh district, particularly the hilly areas are good abodes of Bryophytes. A reasonably good amount of taxonomic works have been done on Bryophytes of Bangladesh but not enough has been done on its distribution. Khan (1955, 1957) for the first time, worked on Liverworts and reported several species including some new species but none of these was from greater Mymensingh district. Tixier (1967) collected and reported a good number of Liverworts in a checklist but all these were from Chittagong region. After a long gap of years, Hadiuzzaman and Chakravarty (1981,1983) reported five Liverworts and two Hornworts, out of which only one species, Anthoceros laevis L. was from Mymensingh district. Kamruzzaman (1995) gave an illustrated account of 45 species of Riccia L. which was later included by Hadiuzzaman (2007) in the Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, many of which were collected of the greater Mymensingh district. Banu (1991) for the first time, gave a district-wise distribution of Bryophyta but that was confined only to mosses. Later Banu-Fattah (1998) dealt with Bryophyte flora of Chittagong zone and reported several species of Hepaticopsida and Anthocerotopsida. Recently, Banu-Fattah and Sarker (2007) presented a comprehensive list of mosses under the class Bryopsida from greater Mymensingh district. The present paper is the continuation of the previous paper on Bryophytes dealing with the rest of the classes i.e. Hepaticopsida and Anthocerotopsida. The present paper is based on the specimens collected by the authors as well as many other collectors and all the species previously reported from this region. There are some unpublished reports on the presence of many other species but these have not been included here since complete informations are not available. The present study on Hepaticopsida and Anthocerotopsida includes an account of 48 species under 12 genera, nine families and four orders. *Corresponding author’s present address : Flat B-3, House 27, Road 5, Dhanmondi R/A., Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh. E-mail: qafattah@gmail.com 56 BANU-FATTAH AND SARKER Materials and Methods The areas covered in this study is the greater Mymensingh district of Dhaka Division of Bangladesh which at present is comprised of six administrative districts namely, Jamalpur, Kishoreganj, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sherpur and Tangail. Some of the informations on this region have been given in the previous paper (Banu-Fattah and Sarker, 2007). This paper is based mainly on fresh materials collected from different localities under the greater Mymensingh district. Most of the specimens collected were worked out and identified. Out of all these specimens, only one has been mentioned from each district. All the specimens collected by the authors and their associates are preserved in the Bryology Herbarium, Department of Botany, Ananda Mohan College, Mymensingh. In addition, this list includes all the species previously reported from this region. An alphabetical arrangement of the taxa with brief accounts of 48 species with habitats, localities, names of collectors with dates and numbers of collections are given in the following section. Taxonomic enumeration Class: Hepaticopsida; Order: Jungermanniales; Family: Lejeuneaceae; Genus: Lejeunea Libert, Ann. Gen. Sc. Phys. 6: 372 (1820). 1. Lejeunea sp. Leaves distant, alternate, spreading, ovate to ovate-round, amphigastria small, bilobed, margin entire, apex smooth, marginal cells smaller, cells smooth. Grows on bark of trees. Specimen examined: Sherpur: Zhinaigati, Runctia, Khurshida and Sujan, 17.9.1986, No. 5. Family: Lophocoleaceae; Genus: Chiloscyphus Corda in Opiz, Beitr.1: 651 (1829). 2. Chiloscyphus argutus Nees in Gott., Lindenb. & Nees. Syn. Hep.: 183 (1845). Plant brownish-green, leaves alternate, plano-distichous, slightly imbricate, quadrate to rectangular or ovate-quadrate, margin entire, apex with many coarse teeth, amphigastria distant, small, bifid to about the middle. Grows on damp soil. Specimen examined: Sherpur: Zhinaigati, Runctia, near forest office, Khurshida and Sujan, 17.9.1996, No. 14. BRYOPHYTES OF GREATER MYMENSINGH DISTRICT 57 Order: Marchantiales; Family: Aytoniaceae Genus: Asterella P. Beauv. in Cuvier (ed.), Dictionnaire Sci. Nat. 3: 257 (1905). 3. Asterella sp. Thallus long with poor branching, midrib not distinct, male receptacle very short, disc round, female receptacle long, bearing four lobed disc, receptacle with small red papillae, capsule bright yellow, invested by perianth. Grows on damp walls. Specimen examined: Mymensingh: Gouripur, College campus, Sujan, 12.1.1989, No. 17. Genus: Plagiochasma L. et L. in Lehm. Pug. Pl. IV. P: 13 (1832). 4. Plagiochasma appendiculatum L. et L. Pug. IV: P. 14 (1832). Thallus large, thick, midrib not distinct, margin purple coloured, ventral surface with appendiculate scales, male receptacle horse-shoe shaped without bristle, female receptacle stalked, usually with 5-6 lobes. Grows mostly on old damp walls and bricks. Specimens examined: Jamalpur: Railway station, Anisur, 5.3.1993, No. 47. Kishoreganj: Azim Uddin school campus, Nasima, 25.2.1993, No. 33. Mymensingh: Nasirabad collegiate boys school, Khurshida and Sujan, 27.12.1992, No. 21. Netrokona: Kalmakanda, Iffat, 5.2.1998, No. 57. Sherpur: Civil surgeon’s office, Meher, 5.7.2000, No. 49. Tangail: Adalat para, Nurjahan, 25.12.2000, No. 16. Family: Cyathodiaceae Genus: Cyathodium Kunze in Lehm. Pug. VI.: 17 (1854). 5. Cyathodium tuberosum Kashyap, New Phyt. Vol. XIII.: 210 (1914). Thallus very small, thin, yellowish to pale-green, once or twice dichotomously divided, densely overlapping, lobes linear to oblong; sporophyte with clasping involucres, spore spinous. Very common on damp walls, shaded places, holes, caves. Specimens examined: Jamalpur: Doyamoy Mondir, Rezaul, 2.2.1992, No. 18. Kishoreganj: Karimganj, Marina, 7.12.1996, No. 23. Mymensingh : Principal’s quarter, Ananda Mohan college, Khurshida, 5.11.1992, No. 8. Netrokona: Taligati college campus, Gokul, 2.2.2001, No. 51. Tangail: Senanibash, Ghatail, Rafiqul, 2.12.1999, No. 24. Family: Marchantiaceae Genus: Dumortiera Reinw. Bl. et. Nees Nova Acta Leop. Carol. VII.: 410 ( 1824). 6. Dumortiera hirsuta Reinw. Bl. et Nees Nova Acta Leop. Carol. VII.: 410 (1824). Thallus very large, broad, translucent with conspicuous midrib, apex deeply emerginate, air chambers absent, scales simple or rudimentary, hyaline, male receptacle 58 BANU-FATTAH AND SARKER terminal, depressed at the centre, both male and female receptacles with bristles. Grows on damp, shaded soil. Specimens examined: Mymensingh: Concern office, Shaheb park, Khurshida and Sujan, 26.12.1992, No. 27. Netrokona: Near BDR Camp, Bijoypur, Durgapur,Tania, 15.5.2001, No. 77. Sherpur: Near picnic spot, Gazni, Khurshida and Sujan, 25.9.1997, No. 68. Tangail: Forest office, Loharia, Modhupur, Rashed, 2.2.1995, No. 99. Genus: Marchantia L., Sp. Pl.: 1137 (1753). 7. Marchantia nepalensis L. et L. in Lehm. Pugiv.: 10 (1832). Thallus without dark median line on dorsal surface, lobes broader and shorter, with conspicuous aereoles and scales, inner pore cruciate, male receptacle slightly lobed, 6-8, female receptacle umbonate,7-8 rayed, gemmae cups lobed, dentate to shortly spinose on the margin. Grows on damp soil, walls and bricks. Specimens examined: Jamalpur: Lawachapra bazar, Sribordi, Anisur, 5.12.1994, No. 40. Kishoreganj: Mithamoin, Apurbo, 5.8.1998, No. 59. Mymensingh: Ananda Mohan college campus, Khurshida and Sujan, 25.12.1992, No. 19. Netrokona: Helachia, Thakurakona, Gokul, 12.1.1994, No. 28. Sherpur: Gazni, Sujan, 25.9.1997, No. 63. Tangail: Jangalia, Gopalpur, Shashanka, 5.2.2000, No. 88. 8. Marchantia palmata Nees, Nova Acta XII: 193 (1824). Thallus lobe long, narrow with distinct dark line in the middle on dorsal side, margin entire, apex emerginate, male receptacle very variable, either circular with many lobes or palmate with long narrow lobes, gemmae cups rare. Common on damp soil, walls and bricks. Specimens examined: Jamalpur: Doyamoyee Mondir, Ethi, 5.12.1998, No. 46. Kishoreganj: Astagram brick field, Shahana, 5.3.1998, No. 38. Mymensingh: Near BDR sector office, Dholadia, Khagdoor, Khurshida and Sujan, 28.3.1993, No. 31. Netrokona: Town, Hadiuzzaman, Dec. 1980. Sherpur: Nokla Thana, Nokla, Delwar, 5.2.2001, No. 34. Tangail: Modhupur rubber garden, Nahid, 5.7.1999, No. 78. Family: Ricciaceae Genus: Riccia L., Sp. Pl. : 1138 (1753). 9. Riccia arnellii Khan The Bryologist 60 : 23-30 (1957). Thallus thin, pale green, dorsal surface porous, sporophyte ventral, spore tetrahedral, papillose. Grows on damp soil, often on paddy land after harvesting. Specimens examined: Jamalpur: Melandaha, Mirza Azam college, Sujan, 29.12.2001, No. 129. Kishoreganj: Nikli college campus, Rafiqul, 25.12.2000, No. 36. Mymensingh: Boroikandi, Rupshi, Phulpur, Delowar, 5.2.2000, No. 118. Netrokona: BRYOPHYTES OF GREATER MYMENSINGH DISTRICT 59 Near Purbodhala bazar, Sujan, 30.12.2001, No. 133. Sherpur: Sandhyakura, Runctia, Zhinaigati, Khurshida and Sujan, 25.9.1997, No. 75. Tangail: Sakhipur Ansar training centre, Rubel, 6.1.2000, No. 22. 10. Riccia bakshi Zaman et Syed, Studies on the genus Riccia of Bangladesh, Ph.D. Thesis: 183-186 (1995). Plant spongy, dorsal furrow indistinct, dorsal surface pitted, sporangia ventral, spores triangular or oval, wing crenate or dentate. Grows on shady damp or sandy soil. Specimens examined: Jamalpur: Sthall, Kamru


Introduction
The greater Mymensingh district, particularly the hilly areas are good abodes of Bryophytes.A reasonably good amount of taxonomic works have been done on Bryophytes of Bangladesh but not enough has been done on its distribution.Khan (1955Khan ( , 1957) ) for the first time, worked on Liverworts and reported several species including some new species but none of these was from greater Mymensingh district.Tixier (1967) collected and reported a good number of Liverworts in a checklist but all these were from Chittagong region.After a long gap of years, Hadiuzzaman andChakravarty (1981,1983) reported five Liverworts and two Hornworts, out of which only one species, Anthoceros laevis L. was from Mymensingh district.Kamruzzaman (1995) gave an illustrated account of 45 species of Riccia L. which was later included by Hadiuzzaman (2007) in the Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, many of which were collected of the greater Mymensingh district.Banu (1991) for the first time, gave a district-wise distribution of Bryophyta but that was confined only to mosses.Later Banu-Fattah (1998) dealt with Bryophyte flora of Chittagong zone and reported several species of Hepaticopsida and Anthocerotopsida.Recently, Banu-Fattah and Sarker (2007) presented a comprehensive list of mosses under the class Bryopsida from greater Mymensingh district.The present paper is the continuation of the previous paper on Bryophytes dealing with the rest of the classes i.e.Hepaticopsida and Anthocerotopsida.
The present paper is based on the specimens collected by the authors as well as many other collectors and all the species previously reported from this region.There are some unpublished reports on the presence of many other species but these have not been included here since complete informations are not available.The present study on Hepaticopsida and Anthocerotopsida includes an account of 48 species under 12 genera, nine families and four orders.

Materials and Methods
The areas covered in this study is the greater Mymensingh district of Dhaka Division of Bangladesh which at present is comprised of six administrative districts namely, Jamalpur, Kishoreganj, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sherpur and Tangail.Some of the informations on this region have been given in the previous paper (Banu-Fattah and Sarker, 2007).
This paper is based mainly on fresh materials collected from different localities under the greater Mymensingh district.Most of the specimens collected were worked out and identified.Out of all these specimens, only one has been mentioned from each district.All the specimens collected by the authors and their associates are preserved in the Bryology Herbarium, Department of Botany, Ananda Mohan College, Mymensingh.In addition, this list includes all the species previously reported from this region.
An alphabetical arrangement of the taxa with brief accounts of 48 species with habitats, localities, names of collectors with dates and numbers of collections are given in the following section.