SPORE MORPHOLOGY OF CERTAIN MOSSES OF NORTHERN TEHRAN-IRAN: TAXONOMICAL AND ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS.

During the bryophyte floristic study of northern Tehran, spore morphology of 15 moss species belonging to families Amblvstegiaceae, Brachvtheciaceae, Encalyptaceae. Funariaceae,Grinuniaceae, Mniaceae, Orthotrichaceae, and Pottiareae were examined and photographed by scanning electron microscopy. Spore shape of all the studied species was spheroid. The spore size was ranging from 7.50 (±0.06) x 8.07 (±0.06) (mu)m in Schistidium flaccidum to 35.84 (±3.67) x 37.51 (±4.55) (mu)m in Encalypta intermedia. No sulcus was detected on the exine surface of the examined species. Based on surface ornamentation, the spores were divided into six following types: verrucate,scabrate-gemmate, gemmate, pilate, retipilate and rugulate. The examined mosses species are belonging to two habitat types: saxicolous type and terrestrial type. The taxonomical and ecological implications of the spore morphology of the species were discussed.