Bryophytes of Réunion Island

The first meeting of the BBS - Tropical Bryology Group on Réunion Island took place in September 2008, hosted by the Université de La Réunion and La Réunion Parc National.

Réunion is a tropical oceanic island of geologically recent volcanic origin, situated in the south-west of the Indian Ocean, 800 km east of Madagascar.  The island has a surface area of 2512 sq km, and is approximately 63 km by 45 km.  The dramatic mountainous peaks of the central highlands reach altitudes of 3000 m and this remarkable variety of habitats harbours a very rich and interesting bryophyte flora.  The number of bryophytes known from Réunion Island currently stands at 733 species, divided into 429 species of mosses (57 families and 159 genera) and 304 species of liverworts and hornworts (33 families and 86 genera).  Presently, 68 species of mosses and 16 species of liverworts are considered to be endemic from Réunion.  These figures will change as further research is undertaken on the bryophyte flora of the island.

    Provisional checklist of mosses on Réunion Island

    Checklist of liverworts & hornworts on Réunion Island (forthcoming)

 Taxonomic workshop and field meeting

    Workshop Flyer  - Background information to this meeting.

    Bryophytes & Volcanoes - An account of this 2008 meeting, published in Field Bryology

    Workshop Participants - 17 bryologists took part in this meeting

 Photo gallery

       Contributors - Jo Wilbraham (JW); Tamas Pócs (TP)

Lava flows of Piton de la Fournaise (JW)	Lava flow site from 1996 (JW)	Early successional bryophytes (JW)	Mare Longue Reserve - 500 year old forest over lava flows (JW)	Cheilolejeunea sp. (TP)
Macromitrium mauritianum (JW)	Cryptochila grandiflora (TP)	Howard plus local fauna (JW)	Jacques in the cloud forest (JW)	Sphagnum & Breutelia (JW)
Mountainside cascades of the Cirque de Salazie (JW)	The high rainfall in the mountains provides a rich habitat for bryophytes (JW)	Cloud forest habitat (JW)	Gottschea (JW)	Herbertus sp. (JW)
View of the Cirque de Mafate (JW)	Thalloid hepatic (JW)	Mastigophora diclados (JW)	Mist over low montane forest (JW)	Pleurozia gigantea (JW)
Mossy cloud forest (TP)	Plicanthus hirtellus (JW)	Pandanus-Sphagnum mire - a unique and threatened habitat (JW)	Pandanus-Sphagnum mire - a unique and threatened habitat (JW)	Pandanus-Sphagnum mire - a unique and threatened habitat (JW)
Epiphyllous hepatics on ferns (TP)	Epiphytic bryophytes (JW)	Sphagnum sp. (JW)	Distant peaks of Piton des Neiges (JW)	Dendroceros sp. (JW)
Leiomitrium plicatum - a monospecific genus endemic to the Mascarenes (JW)	Tamas Pocs examining the epiphytic Leiomitrium (JW)	Coastal Pandanus grove (JW)	Octoblepharon albidum (JW)	Microscope work in the university lab (TP)