Status of Stephensoniella brevipedunculata in Jammu (NW Himalayas) - India

Stephensoniella brevipedunculata Kash., monotypic Indian liverwort, belonging to Division Marchantiophyta, Class Marchantiopsida, Order Marchantiales and Family Exormothecaceae was initially instituted by Kashyap in 1914, when he collected it for the first time from Mussorrie and later on collected it from other parts of Western Himalayas, such as Kulu and Dulchi pass at an altitude of 2,000 to 2,400m (Kashyap, 1929). Later collections were made from different parts of Western Himalaya by various bryologists like Kanwal (1977), Srivastava (1983), Pant (1983), Pant and Tiwari (1995).Udar et al. (1983) in an attempt to assess reasons for disappearance of this prestigious hepatic undertook studies on its detailed reproductive biology. However, Pant (1983) attributed fast increasing urbanization as the main cause for the disappearance of this liverwort from Nainital area of Western Himalayas. This liverwort was considered to be endemic to Western Himalayas only (IUCN, 2000). Tan et al. 1994a, while compiling first ever red list of bryophytes included 50 species (24 mosses, 25 liverworts and 1 hornwort). Subsequently, the list included another 41 taxa, including S. brevipedunculata, thus increasing the number of most endangered bryophyte species worldwide to 91 (Geissler et al. 1997)