Züleyha Aslan Ergenekon

The bryophyte flora of the Bolkar MountainsTülay EZER*1, Ahmet UYGUR2, Züleyha ASLAN ERGENEKON3, Nevzat BATAN4, Mevlüt ALATAŞ5 ORCID: 0000-0002-6485-5505; 0000-0002-3934-8851; 0000-0002-5078-2317; 0000-0001-8456-5719; 0000-0003-0862-02581Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Landscape Architecture, 51240, Niğde, Türkiye2Aksaray University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Biology, 68100, Aksaray, Türkiye3Atatürk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 25240, Erzurum, Türkiye4Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 61080, Trabzon, Türkiye5Munzur University, Vocational School of Tunceli, Department of Plant and Animal Production, 62000, Tunceli, TürkiyeAbstractPurpose: This study aims to reveal the bryophyte flora of the Bolkar Mountains and contribute to the bryoflora of Türkiye.Method: The study was based on bryophyte specimens collected from 230 localities during field surveys conducted in the Bolkar Mountains between 2023 and 2024. All specimens were identified using relevant literature.Findings: A total of 380 taxa belonging to 56 families and 125 genera were identified from the Bolkar Mountains. Of these, 32 taxa (19 families, 23 genera) belong to Marchantiophyta and 348 taxa (37 families, 102 genera) to Bryophyta. Schistidium pulchrum H.H.Blom was recorded for the second time in Türkiye, and 77 taxa were recorded for the first time in the C13 grid-square. Pottiaceae (87 taxa) and Brachytheciaceae (47 taxa) were the richest families, while Ptychostomum (24 taxa) and Schistidium (19 taxa) were the richest genera.Conclusion: This study contributes to the bryoflora of Türkiye and provides a valuable foundation for future floristic and conservation studies.Keywords: Anatolia, bryological diversity, moss, liverwort, Türkiye

The new locality records of Scorpidium cossonii and Cyrtomnium hymenophylloides (Bryophyta) for Türkiye and Southwest Asia from the Bolkar Mountains Tülay EZER 1, Ahmet UYGUR2, Züleyha ASLAN ERGENEKON3, Mevlüt ALATAŞ4, Nevzat BATAN5 ORCID: 0000-0002-6485-5505; 0000-0002-3934-8851; 0000-0002-5078-2317; 0000-0003-0862-0258; 0000-0001-8456-5719 1Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Landscape Architecture, 51240, Niğde, Türkiye 2Aksaray University, Sabire Yazıcı Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Biology, 68100, Aksaray, Türkiye 3Atatürk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 25240, Erzurum, Türkiye 4Munzur University, Vocational School of Tunceli, Department of Plant and Animal Production, 62000, Tunceli, Türkiye 5Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Science, Molecular Biology and Genetics, 61080, Trabzon, Türkiye Abstract During bryological land study to the Bolkar Mountains, wetland moss Scorpidium cossonii (Schimp.) Hedenäs, previously known only from Çanakkale, and the arctic-alpine moss Cyrtomnium hymenophylloides (Hübener) T.J.Kop., previously known only from Ordu province, were rediscovered in Türkiye. Scorpidium cossonii was collected on wet rocky bank near the Ciğer Lake (Çan-Çanakkale) in 2014. Cyrtomnium hymenophylloides was collected on wet soil in Kalıcak and Kadıncık Villages (Ulubey-Ordu) in 2014. Ten years later, both species were found the vicinity of Karagöl and Çiniligöl (Ulukışla-Niğde), glacial lakes located in the Central Anatolian part of the Bolkar Mountains. Scorpidium cossonii and Cyrtomnium hymenophylloides were recorded for the second time from Türkiye and Southwest Asia with the present study. While, Scorpidium cossonii is characterised by strongly curved non-plicate leaves and well developed hyalodermis, Cyrtomnium hymenophylloides is characterised erect tuft life form, broadly ovate leaves, acute to apiculate leaf apices. These new locality records will provide important information about the geographical distribution of the both species in Anatolia and will contribute to the bryophyte flora of Türkiye. Keywords: Bolkar Mountains, Central Anatolia, moss, new locality, Türkiye

Bryophyta members in the subkingdom Bryobiotina are distributed in a wide variety of habitats. Mosses are morphologically divided into two large groups: acrocarpous and pleurocarpous. Acrocarpic species have arid character and pleurocarpic species are distributed in more moist regions. The spores of the pleurocarpous Brachythecium salebrosum (Hoffm. ex F. Weber & D. Mohr) Schimp. and the acrocarpous Crossidium squamiferum var. pottioideum (De Not.) Mönk. were examined in comparison in this study. Spore slides were prepared using both Erdtman (acetolysis) and Wodehouse methods and examined under a light microscope (LM). As a result of the analyses, it was found that the spores of C. squamiferum var. pottioideum were oblate in both methods, while the spores of B. salebrosum were suboblate in the acetolysis method and oblate in the Wodehouse method. Spores of both taxa are classified as small spores. Furthermore, the equatorial axis is longer than the polar axis in the spores of both taxa and the thicknesses of the intine layer of the spores are almost identical at 0.50 µm (B. salebrosum) and 0.53 µm (C. squamiferum var. pottioideum). In addition, the thickness of the sclerine of B. salebrosum spores was about 0.70 µm in both methods, while it was 0.56 µm in acetolysed spores of C. squamiferum var. pottioideum and 0.78 µm in Wodehouse treated spores. Both taxa have monolete and trilete spores. On the other hand, SEM examinations revealed that B. salebrosum has gemmate ornamentation, while C. squamiferum var. pottioideum has verrucate ornamentation. The findings obtained as a result of the studies helped to reveal the differences between the spores of taxa in different morphological groups and brought a different perspective in their ecological evaluation.

In this study, Platydictya jungermannioides, a rare moss species, was recorded for the second time from Türkiye and reported for the third time from Southwest Asia. The present study provides a detailed description of the species, collected from the Bolkar Mountains, along with photographs. Additionally, the ecology and distribution of Platydictya jungermannioides in Türkiye are discussed.

In this study, the spore morphologies of five different acrocarpous moss species (Weissia brachycarpa, Distichium inclinatum, Pterygoneurum ovatum, Ceratodon purpureus and Ptychostomum donianum) were investigated and discussed the taxonomical and ecological value of spores morphological characters of these species. Spores were prepared according to standard palynological techniques such as acetolysis and Wodehouse and analyzed using light microscopy to reveal sporoderm structures. The spores of the three moss species except Pterygoneurum ovatum and Ceratodon purpureus which are heteromorph are heteropolar and monolete. Also, in all species, the shape of the spores was determined as suboblate in equatorial view. In polar views, the shapes of spores vary as oblate-spheroid and suboblate. In equatorial view of the spores, the length of the polar axis (P) range from 9.60 μm to 27.90 μm on average, the length of the equatorial axis (E) is between 12.00 μm and 31.96 μm on average. The sporoderm layers of the spores were also examined and measured. It has been determined that the spores of the examined species have five different ornamentation types as verrucate, clavate-gemmate, baculate, clavate and baculate-clavate. The results obtained are discussed in terms of taxonomical and ecological aspects.