Aegean Bryophyte Atlas

The distribution of bryophytes known from the Chalkidiki peninsulas and Aegean islands, Greece.

compiled and edited by Burkhard Biel,
generously supported by Tom Blockeel


Based on the work of the late Ruprecht Düll (2014) in his book
”A Survey of the Bryophytes known from the Aegean Islands“, this atlas project shows the distribution of the bryophytes of the Aegean area on maps within the boundaries of Düll's work (he died on 07.06.2014, shortly before its publication).
The main aim of this project is to present quick and up-to-date results from surveys of bryophytes in the Aegean area, with the help of distribution maps, thus completing and continuing Düll's work. It should encourage further exploration of the Greek bryophyte flora, which is much needed.
The data from Düll's work have been critically evaluated by Tom Blockeel and provided with comments if necessary. Additional data, both published and unpublished, have been included (see below).

Most of the older reports included in this work have only been assessed for their credibility; there is no guarantee of their correctness.

Up to now, data are included from the three peninsulas of Chalkidiki (Athos, Kassandra, Sithonia) and the following 38 islands: Agios Efstratios, Alonnisos, Amorgos, Andiparos, Andros, Chios, Crete, Delos, Egina, Euboea, Fourni, Gavdopoula, Ikaria, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kea, Kos, Kythera, Kythnos, Lesvos, Methana, Milos, Naxos, Paros, Patmos, Rhodos, Samothrace, Samos, Santorini (Thira, Thirasia, Nea Kaimeni), Siphnos, Serifos, Sikinos, Skiathos, Skopelos, Symi, Thasos, Tilos.
The location of these peninsulas and islands in the Aegean Sea is shown on a separate map►.

This project will be updated continuously, as soon as new data are available.

Everyone who is interested in the Greek bryophytes is invited to support this project with their data. The aim is to compile and present as complete a picture of their distribution as possible.

I am grateful to Beata Papp and Erzsébet Szurdoki from Hungarian National History Museum who offered the ECCB website for a guest-project already in January 2015. Many thanks too to Ambroise Baker who offered and Claire Halpin who helped to include this Atlas into the website of the British Bryological Society (BBS) since November 2018. From 03.03.2021 on this website is running independent owned by the editor.
                - Burkhard Biel -

The atlas project:
All known species and subspecies (including the most important synonyms) of the bryophytes from the Aegean islands are presented in two lists, one for the liverworts and one for the mosses, in alphabetical order. A click on a species name opens a separate window with the relevant distribution map.
The maps show the Greek Aegean area divided into phytogeographical regions (according to Flora Hellenica, Strid & Tan 1977) abbreviated as follows: EAe = East Aegean, EC = East Central, Kik = Kiklades, KK = Kriti-Karpathos, NAe = North Aegean, NE = North East, Pe = Peloponnese, StE = Sterea Ellas, WAe = West Aegean.
The records are shown on the maps with one dot for each island or peninsula (except Kriti: four dots and Evvia: three dots)
with different symbols for three time periods as <em><strong>white dot </strong></em><1950 <  <em><strong>pink dot </strong></em><1990 <  <em><strong>red dot </strong></em> current status.

Appropriate comments are added at the top right side of the maps.

Last updated: 29.12.2023 - VERSION 2.7

The list of liverworts► (Anthocerotae, Hepaticae) currently contains 125 taxa, including 13 synonyms (italic font).

The list of mosses► (Bryatae) currently contains 460 taxa, including 94 synonyms (italic font).

The following publications have been evaluated:
Blockeel, T.L. 2017. Bryophytes of the Cyclades, Greece: the flora of the island of Andros. - FieldBryology 117: 36-45.
Blockeel, T.L., Jan Kučera, Vladimir, E. & Fedosov, E. 2017: Bryoerythrophyllum duellii Blockeel (Bryophyta: Pottiaceae), a new moss species from Greece and Cyprus, and its molecular affinities. - Journal of Bryology 39: 247-254.
Blockeel, T.L. 2016. The mosses Aschisma carniolicum, Campylostelium strictum and Timmiella flexiseta on the Eastern Aegean Islands, new to Greece, and a second locality for Syntrichia latifolia. - Herzogia 29: 52-58.

Blockeel, T.L. 2012. Notes on the Bryophytes of the schistose valleys of western Crete, including Asterella africana new to Greece, and an assessment of the conservation status of Rhamphidium purpuratum and Jungermannia handelii. - Journal of Bryology 34: 292-296.
Blockeel, T.L. & Nieuwkoop, J.A. 2016. The bryophyte flora of Lesbos, Greece. - Herzogia 29: 1-34.
Blockeel, T.L. et al. 2023. Alleniella aegaea Blockeel & Hugonnot (Neckeraceae), a new moss species from the Aegean islands of Greece. - Acta Biol. Plant. Agriensis 11(1): 225-249.
Borovichev, E.A. & Vilnet, A.A. 2015. Recently resurrected for European liverwort flora - Frullania calcarifera Steph., new addition for the Crimean Peninsula. - Folia Cryptog. Estonia, Fasc. 52: 1-6.
Düll, R. 2014. A survey of the Bryophytes known from the Aegean islands. - Jena: Weissdorn-Verlag.

Jiménez JA, Cano MJ, Kürschner H, Porley RD, Guerra J. 2022. Reappraisal of Barbula trifaria var. desertorum (J. Froehl.) S. Agnew (Pottiaceae, Bryophyta), based on morphological and molecular evidence. Nova Hedwigia 114: 9-21.
Kay, Q. 1969. Some mosses from Khios. - Revue Bryologique Lichénologique 36: 625-627.
Papp, B. 2007: Reports 1-7. In: Natcheva, R., Tsakiri, E., Dihoru, G. (eds.): New bryophyte records in the Balkans: 1. – Phytologica Balcanica 13(1): 102.
Patiño, J. 2017. Species delimitation in the recalcitrant moss genus Rhynchostegiella (Brachytheciaceae). - Taxon 66: 293-308
Ros RM, Werner O, Porley RD. 2022. Herzog vindicated: Integrative taxonomy reveals that Trichostomum brachydontium (Pottiaceae, Bryophyta) comprises several species. Taxonomy 2022, 2: 57–88.

Unpublished data have been provided by
N.G. Hodgetts: Kos (2018), Rhodos (2019), Symi (2019)
B. Papp: Crete (1996, 1997, 2001), Halkidiki (Kassandra) (2003), Rhodos (2006)
H. Sipman: Andiparos (1998), Kalymnos (2000), Kos (2000), Paros (1998), Santorini (1990, 1998, 2000)
B. Biel: Kythnos-Serifos-Siphnos (2003-4), Alonnisos-Skiathos-Skopelos (2005), Ikaria (2005), Sikinos (2005), Samothrace (2006-13), Amorgos (2015-16, 2019), Milos (2019-22), Naxos (2020)

The nomenclature follows:
Hodgetts, N. G. 2015. Checklist and country status of European bryophytes – towards a new Red List for Europe. Irish Wildlife Manuals 84. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ireland.