Seventeen spp. new records for the Moss flora of Iraq

Samples and specimens of mosses were collected in different parts of Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok and Even Kirkuk provinces in Iraq Kurdistan Region, since 1998 to April 2010. This collection could be taken as the representative species of mosses on the soil surface, rocks and tree barks of either terrestrial and aquatic habitats of foothills, mountains and plains. A total of 67 species distributed in 32 genera, 16 families and 9 orders were found. Among them there were 17 species in 10 genera, the 2 families Schistogaceae and Ephemeraceae and the single order Schistostegales. The rarest species recorded in this study were Schistostega pennata with fern-like leaves within a Shanadar cave, Pottia wilsoni var. crinata, at the entrance of Ba-stoon cave, and Ephemerum cristatum within Gali Ali-beg area. Description and photographs of records are included. The key of identification was done based on the study of (1) gametophytic and saprophytic vegetative characters, (2) habitat, and (3) growth forms.