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An Annotated Checklist and Atlas of the Mosses of Thailand Welcome | Abstract | Introduction | Acknowledgments Systematic Arrangement of Genera | Recognized Species Checklist | Literature Cited Phytogeography The moss flora of Thailand, with 652 taxa, is comparable to that of neighboring countries or regions, such as Borneo, Java, Malay Peninsula, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam (Table 2). Phytogeographically, Thailand is a transitional region forming a bridge between the Malayan-Philippine and Sino-Himalayan floras. In the northern part of Thailand plants in the dry lowlands are very poor, but grow vigorously in moist evergreen forests that are developing at altitude above 1,000 meters (Iwatsuki 1972). The mosses of high elevations in the north exhibit affinities to those of eastern Himalayas, Myanmar, and southwestern China (Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou). Many species of the Brachytheciaceae, Entodontaceae, Thuidiaceae, and Hylocomiaceae as well as the species of Bryowijkia Nog., Calyptothecium Mitt., Dixonia Horik. & Ando, and Penzigiella Fleisch. show this affinity. In the southern part of Thailand most species occurring there belong to the Malayan elements known from Malay Peninsula, Java, Sumatra, and its archipelago as well as the Philippines. These include many species of the Calymperaceae and Sematophyllaceae, and those of Hypnodendron (C. Muell.) Lindb. ex Mitt., Mniomalia C. Muell., and Neolindbergia Fleisch. It appears that the Sino-Himalayan elements have rarely extended southwards beyond the central plain in Thailand. The Malayan-Philippine elements clearly predominate in the "Peninsula" and southeastern Thailand. There are a significant number of species that were reported from both northern and peninsular Thailand. These elements usually have much wider distributional patterns throughout East and South Asia and often have pantropic and paleotropic distribution. The diverse distributional patterns of Thai mosses are primarily due to the country's diverse climates and landscapes. The climates in the large central plain and the Korat Plateau in the east are dry and are intermediate between the monsoon regions and tropical regions. A broad zonation belt is formed centrally, which separates the country into two climatic zones. It is practical in biogeographical standpoint to divide Thailand into two floristic regions, the Sino-Himalayan region in the north and northeast and the Malayan region in the southeast and the "Peninsula". The distribution of the pteridophytes in Thailand is clearly determined by the climatic factors (Iwatsuki 1972). The floristic affinities of Thai mosses with adjacent East and South Asian countries are shown in Fig. 1. Table 2. Floristic composition of the adjacent countries or regions of Thailand with number of taxa in common to the Thai moss flora Country or region No. of Genera No. of Taxa Publication No. of Taxa in common with Thai mosses Borneo 166 649 Touw 1978 277 (42.5%) Whole China 413 2457 Redfearn, Tan & He 1996 387 (59.4%) SW China 355 1560 per this study 299 (45.9%) East India 274 990 Gangulee 1969-1980 365 (56%) Japan 321 1183 Iwatsuki 1991 196 (30.1%) Java 176 650 Fleischer 1904-1923 298 (45.7%) Kampuchea 73 152 Tan & Iwatsuki 1993 113 (17%) Thailand 191 652 per this study Laos 82 145 Tan & Iwatsuki 1993 107 (16.4%) Malay Peninsula 134 475 Mohamed & Tan 1988 234 (35.9%) Myanmar 139 319 Tan & Iwatsuki 1993 234 (35.9%) New Guinea 210 830 Koponen 1990 231 (35.4%) Philippines 230 700 Tan & Iwatsuki 1991 326 (50%) Sumatra ?? ??   198 (30.4%) Taiwan 258 907 Redfearn, Tan & He 1996 278 (42.6%) Vietnam 180 595 Tan & Iwatsuki 1993 277 (42.5%) Figure 1. Floristic affinities of Thai mosses (652 taxa). Percentage share of common species from adjacent regions in East Asia are shown over each column. 1. Borneo. 2. Whole China. 3. Southwestern China. 4. East India. 5. Japan. 6. Java. 7. Kampuchea. 8. Thailand. 9. Laos. 10. Malay Peninsula. 11. Myanmar. 12. New Guinea. 13. Philippines. 14. Sumatra. 15. Taiwan. 16. Vietnam. << BACK | TOP | NEXT >>