Liverwort diversity at Khao Nan National Park, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Abstract

The investigation of liverwort diversity at Khao Nan National Park was undertaken from January 2006 to June 2007. Exploration and field collection of liverworts was carried out at elevations ranging from 320 m to 1,385 m amsl. In total, 547 specimens were enumerated, accounting for liverworts in 103 species, 40 genera, and 17 families. Habit-wise, 9 species were thalloid liverworts and 94 were leafy liverworts. Majority of liverworts were epiphytes, and a few were either lithophytes or terrestrials. Among 17 families of liverworts found, family Lejeuneaceae was the richest with respect to species diversity, represented by 29 species in 14 genera. Moreover, of all liverwort species found, members of the Bazzania taxa of family Lepidoziaceae had the highest relative abundance. As many as 30 liverworts may be new records to Thailand. These include Aneura indica Steph., Riccardia palmata (Hedw.) Carruth., Frullania campanulata Sande Lac., Frullania intermedia (Reinw. et al.) Dumort. var. submorokensis S. Hatt., Heteroscyphus acutangulus (Schiffn.) Schiffn., Heteroscyphus sarawaketanus Piippo, Lophocolea costata (Nees) Gottsche, Jungermannia polyrhizoides Grolle, Cololejeunea ocelloides (Horik.) S. Hatt., Cololejeunea yipii R. L. Zhu., Colura meijeri Jovet-Ast, Drepanolejeunea ternatensis (Gottsche) Schiffn., Lejeunea boninensis Horik., Leptolejeunea apiculata (Horik.) S. Hatt., Lopholejeunea nipponica Horik., Schiffneriolejeunea tumida (Nees) Gradst. var. tumida, Bazzania fauriana (Steph.) S. Hatt., Bazzania yakushimensis Horik., Lepidozia cladorhiza (Reinw., Blume & Nees) Nees, Psiloclada clandestina Mitt., Metzgeria consanguinea Schiffn., Metzgeria lindbergii Schiffn., Plagiochila bicornuta Steph., Plagiochila longispica Mitt., Plagiochilion pachycephalum (De Not.) Inoue, Radula constricta Steph., Radula japonica Gottsche ex Steph., Radula kurzii Steph., Radula philippinensis Yamada and Schistochila nuda Horik.