الفهرس 
The Study AreaOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The purpose of this work was to study family Pottiaceae in Menoufiya province. To achieve this purpose 75 new and 42 old samples were investigated.
This work includes:
• Diagnostic descriptions of family Pottiaceae, its genera and species recorded in the study area.
• Identification keys for Pottiaceae genera and species in Menoufiya province.
• Photographs of all structures of all species.
• State of leaf characters of most recorded species in Menoufiya province, Egypt and the world.
• Distribution of Pottiaceae species of Menoufiya province in Egypt, neighbouring countries and the world and their floristic elements.
The revision of family Pottiaceae in Menoufiya province revealed the following:
• The 117 specimens represent 17 species belonging to 7 genera and 2 subfamilies i.e. Merceyoideae (11 species) and Pottioideae (six species).
• Four species were identified only from old samples, six species were identified only from new samples and seven species were identified from both old and new samples.
• Comparing the old collections and new ones it was found that:
- Occurrence of some species in the new collections decreased (D. tophaceus, Didymodon ceratodentus, B. unguiculata, D. vinealis and B.indica)
- Probable disappearance of some species in the new collections (Barbula sp., Tortula fragilis, T. cf. subulata and cf. Hyophila sp.).
- Occurrence of some species in the new collections increased (Barbula ehrenbergii and Gymnostomum calcareum)
- Appearance of some species in the new collections (Didymodon luridus, D. fallax, Gymnostomum aeruginosum, Hyophila involuta, Leptophascum leptophyllum and Splachnobryum obtusum).
• The largest genera are Didymodon and Barbula; represented by 5 and 4 species respectively.
• The most widespread species in Menoufiya province are Barbula ehrenbergii and B. unguiculata. These two species represent also the constant elements in the assemblage of each province of the Nile Delta.
• B. unguiculata had the highest percentage of occurrence in both old and new collections. On the other hand, Didymodon vinealis had the lowest percentage in both old and new collections.
• The percentage of purity was higher in old collections compared to new ones for Barbula ehrenbergii and B. unguiculata.
• The most common association was between B. unguiculata and B. ehrenbergii (12 samples).
• The highest percentage of association is 89% (five samples) between Splachnobryum obtusum and Barbula unguiculata.
• All Pottiaceae species recorded in the study area were fruitless.
• No antheridia were found.
• Archegonia and gemmae had more records in new collections than in old ones
• Only nine species carried archegonia namely, Barbula unguiculata, Didymodon ceratodentus, D. fallax, D. luridus, D. tophaceus, D. vinealis, Gymnostomum aeruginosum, Splachnobryum obtusum and Tortula cf. subulata.
• Different reproductive structures were recorded in six species i.e. Barbula indica, B. unguiculata, Didymodon ceratodentus, Hyophila involuta, Leptophascum leptophyllum and Splachnobryum obtusum.
• Gemmae were axillary in all previous recorded species except in Didymodon ceratodentus and Leptophascum leptophyllum which were rhizoidal. Propaguloid leaf apex was recorded in this work in Barbula ehrenbergii and B. unguiculata for the second time in Egypt.
• Some species carried gemmae in all or most collected samples e.g. B. indica and B. unguiculata.
• March was the most suitable month for production of both archegonia and gemmae in either old or new collections.
• The similarity between the Pottiaceae species of the Menoufiya province and those of Nile Delta (12 common species) is more pronounced than that of Menoufiya province and other parts in Egypt.
• The similarity between the species of the study area and those of Qaleobiya province (12 species) is more pronounced than that between Menoufiya and other provinces of Nile Delta.
• Europe is the most phytogeographical region having similarity in Pottiaceae species with those recorded in Menoufiya province, where 14 mosses are in common.
• Many floristic elements are found in Menoufiya province i.e. Northern element (six species), Paleotropical element (four species), Cosmopolitan element (two species) and each of Circum-tethyan, Tropical and Afromontain elements (one species each).
• The present study added to our knowledge the following:
a. 13 species as new records to Menoufiya province.
b. Five species as new records to Nile Delta.
c. Five species as new records to Egypt, two of them are fully identified i.e. Hyophila involuta and Leptophascum leptophyllum and three are not fully identified Barbula sp., cf. Hyophila sp. and Tortula cf. subulata bringing the total of moss taxa known in Egypt to 216 taxa.
d. Two species are new records to northern Africa (Afr1), namely, Hyophila involuta, and Leptophascum leptophyllum.