Andreaea Hedw.

Genus Andreaea Hedw. SPECIMEN EXAMINED. — Türkiye • Artvin province, Borçka district, exit of Beyazsu Plateau, Road to Yıldız Lake, valley interior, on rock; 2459 m alt.; 41°57’59.3”N, 41°21’38.0”E; 23. VI.2022 • Borçka district, Beyazsu Plateau, road to Yıldız Lake, on rock; 2496 m alt.; 41°57’47.7”N, 41°22’10.1”E; 24. VI.2022 • Borçka district, above Kuyruklu Lake, rocky area, on rock; 2720 m alt.; 42°3’32.6”N, 41°24’57.1”E; 23.VIII.2022 • Borçka district, between Çikunet Plateau and Saymiye ridge, on rock; 2760 m alt.; 42°1’6.4”N, 41°22’36.8”E; 23.VIII.2022; leg. N. Batan, H. Erata, N. Batan, H.Erata, KTUB [KTUB1627]; duplicate in Erata 1216 (Herb.Erata). ECOLOGY. — Andreaea alpestris typically grows on periodically wet rocks and lithosols often near snow beds. Also grows on rocks in subalpine and alpine habitats (Dierssen 2001; Smith 2004; Frey et al. 2006). DISTRIBUTION. — Andreaea alpestris has a broad distribution, found in Europe (Finland, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, Andorra, Corsica, France, Italy, Madeira, Spain, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Romania, Caucasus (in Europe); Artict Russia (NW Russia); Ukranie; Asia (China); America (Subartic America, EW America, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica); (Murray 1988; Allen 1994; Smith 2004; Hodgetts & Lockhart 2020). DESCRIPTION Plants small, 1.0- 3.4 cm high, reddish black, black or greenish brown cushions. Shoots 1.4-1.8 cm high. Leaves 0.4-0.8 mm long, usually straight, imbricate, lanceolate, widest above the base. Leaf margins entire, plane or slightly incurved. Costa absent; basal cells short rectangular. Upper cells of leaf almost quadrate. Papillae on the dorsal surface of the leaves low or absent. Perichaetial leaves differentiated, sheathing, convolute and 1.1- 1 mm long and 0.5-0.6 mm wide (Murray 1988; Smith 2004; Frey et al. 2006). This species closely resembles Andreaea rupestris Hedw., but it differs by having straight leaves and low or absent papillae on the dorsal leaf surface. Additionally, A. alpestris is distinct from A. rupestris due to its smaller, imbricate, obtuse leaves and the non-porose nature of the upper leaf cells. Andreaea alpestris also bears similarities to Andreaea mutabilis Hook.f. & Wilson; however, it can be differentiated by its typically straight leaves and the low or absent papillae on the leaf surface (Murray 1988; Smith 2004; Frey et al. 2006; Zander 2007). REMARKS The species was last assessed for the IUCN Red List in 2017 and is currently classified as Data Deficient (DD) (Hallingbäck et al. 2019; IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2019: e.T83659776A87832177, accessed on July 8, 2024).