East African Bryophytes XXXIV: A preliminary study on the bryodiversity in dryland hilltops of Kitui County, Kenya

Bryophytes remain undercollected in Kenya with a number of localities especially drylands inadequately represented. The first collection of the bryologically hitherto neglected Kitui County in southeastern Kenya was carried out during 2004 and 2005 biodiversity expeditions targeting isolated mist effected inselbergs surrounded by dry low altitude savanna plains. Bryophytes were collected from at least three inselbergs: Mutha, Nuu and Mumoni Hills, from where altogether 42 liverwort and 24 moss species were documented. Dibrachiella africana, Metzgeria lechleri, Schiffneriolejeunea polycarpa , and Schlotheimia ferruginea are new to Kenya. About 69 percent of these bryophytes also occur in the Taita Hills, the most representative part of the Crystalline Eastern Arc range biodiversity hotspot in southern Kenya. On the base of geology and bryoflora composition, these inselbergs of Kitui County therefore seem to belong to northernmost satellite affiliation of the Eastern Arc Mountains.