Interest in bryophytes of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is relatively quite
recent and, hitherto, only four works (Long, 1987; Frey & Kürschner, 1988; Kürschner &
Böer, 1999; Shabbara & El-Saadawi, 1999) pertaining to the bryoflora of that part of the
Arabian Peninsula (Fig. 1) have appeared.
Only one hepatic was reported in the work of Long (1987) while in the work of
Frey & Kürschner (1988) a second hepatic and three mosses have been reported. In 1999
Kürschner & Böer added five hepatics and 12 mosses which raised the total number of
bryophytes known from UAE to 22 taxa (seven hepatics and 15 mosses). Shabbara and
El-Saadawi (1999), further added one new hepatic and 24 new mosses; however five of
these mosses were among those reported by Kürschner and Böer in the same year. This
makes the total now known from UAE as 42 taxa (eight hepatics and 34 mosses).
This represents a relatively good contribution to the bryoflora of that area of the
Arabian Peninsula which was, till quite recently, almost unknown bryofloristically.
Names of all the reported taxa and details about their distribution and floristic
relationships will soon be published