The bryofloristic regions of southern Africa

Abstract

SUMMARYA TWINSPAN classification divides southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho) into two main bryofloristic regions: (1) a subtropical or palaeotropical region in the northern, eastern and southern parts, characterised by a predominantly mesophytic moss flora, and (2)

The bryofloristic elements of southern Africa

“…The Xerophytic element is more or less evenly distributed in the two main bryofloristic regions of van Rooy & van Wyk (2010), the temperate and subtropical regions, while the widespread, Mesophytic element is mainly distributed in the subtropical region (Fig. 15).…”

“…The Afromontane Grassland Element is mainly distributed in the Afromontane Region of van Rooy & van Wyk (2010) with minor peaks in the Zambezian and Highlands Regions (Fig. 15).…”

“…Brachymenium leptophyllum, Brachymenium nepalense, Calymperes pallidum, Campylopus 20 pattern as the grid classification where the study area was divided into a semi-arid, temperate, south-western region with a xerophytic moss flora, and a subtropical region in the northern and eastern parts, extending southward along the coast, with a mesophytic moss flora (van Rooy & van Wyk, 2010).…”

“…The classification of bryofloristic elements within the FSA region is hierarchical and based exclusively on the results of the TWINSPAN 3+ analysis (see van Rooy & van Wyk, 2010). Because of the regional nature of this study the names of the two main elements are provisional.…”

“…The relationship between the bryofloristic elements and the bryofloristic regions of van Rooy & van Wyk (2010) was studied by summarising the re-ordered TWINSPAN 3+ datamatrix in a two-way table (Fig. 15).…”