Names of Japanese liverworts and hornworts (their Phyla, Classes, Orders, Families and Genera) are arranged according to recent accepted taxonomic opinion following Crandall-Stotler et al. (2009) for liverworts and Renzaglia et al. (2008) for hornworts. The checklist of Japanese liverworts and hornworts (Katagiri & Furuki 2012) is updated and includes two additional species: Sphaerocarpos donnellii and Trichocolea japonica new to the Japanese flora and nomenclatural changes for the Japanese species of Cleveaceae based on literature published after 1st January 2011. The Japanese name for each of the taxa is also given.

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Floristic diversity (also called gamma diversity) of bryophyte was investigated in the urban districts, laurel forests, forestations and summer green forests of Nagasaki Prefecture, northwestern Kyushu, Japan. The total number of bryophyte taxa occurred in each habitat was 310, 214, 172 and 306, respectively. A high positive correlation was obtained between the area and the number of species in all regression equations. The bryophyte flora per area in the summer green forests was the largest among forest vegetation types. Moreover, the Z value in the urban districts was higher than other vegetation types. As the area increase, the bryophyte floristic diversity showed a tendency to increase. In addition, the gradient of graph in the urban districts was higher than others.

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Bryophyte colonies at Mt. Sanrei, Kayahage were investigated in the vegetation removal area by Shika deers. One hundred images of 1m×1m sub quadrate were combined by mosaic composite technique; so high resolution 10m×10m quadrate images were created. Distributions and coverages of each species were measured using these large images. After examination, eleven species of mosses were recorded on this area. The coverage of Agrostis clavata subsp. clavata (Poaceae) was 22.6%, and of mosses was 34.3% in the flat area quadrate and Atrichum spp. and Campylopus japonicus were formed large colonies. While the coverage of A. clavata was 21.4%, and of mosses was 23.5 % in the slope area quadrate, and Polytrichum commune, Atrichum spp. and Dicranum scoparium were formed large colonies. Development of Polytrichum commune colonies and others were also discussed.

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The genus Macrothamnium is a member of the Hylocomiaceae and after the revision by Noguchi (1972) seven species had been known mainly from East and Southeast Asia. Amongst the members, M. macrocarpum and M. submacrocarpum have wide distribution ranges in temperate and tropical mountain regions. It is often difficult to distinguish the two species by their morphologies except for branching pattern of aerial shoots; the former with sparse branching 3) and the latter with dense, bi-pinnate branching pattern. It is the reason why some researchers have regarded them as a same species. I had a chance to observe the two species in an evergreen forest at Doi Inthanon (northern Thailand), where they grow side by side but at totally different habitats: M. macrocarpum forms turfs half-berried in sandy soil with underground shoot systems on rocky floors and boulders at streambeds and becomes submerged when it rains, whereas M. submacrocarpum is always found growing on the base of tree trunks and rotten logs at forest floors. Macrothamnium macrocarpum is found occupying similar habitats at one locality in Yakushima Island (southern Japan) and two localities in Mt. Kinabalu (Sabah, Malaysia). As a result, M. macrocarpum is revealed to be one of the representatives of rheophytic bryophytes and M. submacrocarpum, morphologically closely related to M. macrocarpum, is a land species.

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Developmental stages of gametangia and sporophytes were investigated (April 2011 to March 2012) for the urban moss, Hyophila involuta (Hook.) A.Jaeger from Japan, using description method of Greene (1960). Juvenile antheridia were observed from September to April while juvenile archegonia in April. Mature antheridia and archegonia were observed from May to July, so fertilization seems to occur at the rainy season in Japan. Sporophytes were found first in June, and spore dispersal was observed in March. Comparisons of phenological data of this species from Nigeria (Fatoba 1998) were also discussed.

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