The Moss Flora of Akdağ Mountain (Amasya, Turkey)

The moss flora of Akdağ Mountain (Amasya, Turkey) was investigated. At the result of identifications of 1500 moss specimens, collected from the research area, 178 taxa belonging to 69 genera and 26 families were determined. Among them, 94 taxa are new for A3 grid square according to the Turkey grid system which was adopted by Henderson. The location data of Grimmia crinitoleucophaea Cardot and Barbula enderesii Garov. are the first records for Turkey, and Encalypta spathulata Müll. Hal., Schistidium dupretii (Thér.) W. A. Weber, Weissia condensa var. armata (Thér. & Trab.) M. J. Cano, Ros & J. Guerra, Tortella bambergeri (Schimp.), Barbula enderesii Garov., Hedwigia ciliata var. leucophaea Bruch & Schimp., and Campyliadelphus elodes (Lindb.) Kanda are recorded for the second time to the byroflora of Turkey.

Akdag (Amasya), chosen as the study area, is located between Central Anatolia and the Black Sea region within the A3 square according to Henderson's [12] grid system ( Figures  1 and 2). Although Akdag Mountain has been named as one of the most important flora regions of Turkey, the moss flora of the mountain has not been studied before.

Materials and Methods
Samples were collected from 37 stations containing different habitats (Table 1), between 2009 and 2011. All specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of Ankara University (ANK), Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ankara.
The specimens were identified using relevant literature .

Results and Discussion
The new records for the A3 grid square are indicated with a single asterisk, the taxa recorded from Turkey for the second time with double asterisks, and the first location data from Turkey with triple asterisks in the floristic list. Station   Grimmia crinitoleucophaea Cardot. The basal marginal cells of the perichaetial and subperichaetial leaves are hyaline. Setae are very short and sporophytes are hidden between perichaetial leaves.
Encalypta spathulata Müll. Hal. Plants form an extensive mat and are covered with a mass of pale-colored calyptrae. The rostrum of the calyptra is short. Seta is red to dark red and quite fragile. Leaves are narrow and irregularly twisted, with a shiny dark-brown costa.
Barbula enderesii Garov. Plants have strongly differentiated convolute perichaetial leaves. Setae are mostly yellow and annulus is strongly differentiated. Leaves are strongly falcate with dense high papillae.  Tortella bambergeri (Schimp.). The long, narrow leaves are slightly curved or almost straight when moist and dry to a contorted spiral. They have plane margins. The upper part of the leaf is very fragile and most stems in a tuft have only a few leaf tips present. Transverse section of stem has a distinct central strand.
Campyliadelphus elodes (Lindb.) Kanda. The plants are rather slender, with irregularly and rather loosely branched, dull green or yellow-green shoots. Shoots reach 4-5 cm or more in length. Leaves are acute and gradually tapering from base to apex. Leaf margins are obscurely denticulate above. Costa is long and single and is usually extending the apex or near the apex.
The data from this survey was compared to studies from neighboring areas ( Table 2) [40][41][42][43] and shows that the number of taxa of Pottiaceae family members, which display acrocarpous mosses in the Mediterranean, is higher than from other regions. These findings are similar to seed plant vegetation surveys of the area. This is due to the wet and mild climate, large number of microhabitats and enclaves, and different ecological conditions present in the region.
It is hoped that further studies will contribute more species to the knowledge of moss flora of Turkey and that this study will be useful as a guide for future research.