Micromitrium vazhanicum (Micromitriaceae; Bryophyte) a new species from the Western Ghats of India

Micromitrium vazhanicum sp. nov. (Micomitriacecae), related to M. tenerum and M. austinii, is described from the Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary of the Western Ghats of Peninsular India. It is a tiny moss that grows in temporary ponds and moist muddy soil of the Moist Deciduous Forest of the Sanctuary. The minute leafy plants are barely identifiable in the field and grow in patches resembling filamentous green algal colonies. It is characterized by highly dome-shaped papillate persistent calyptra, spinose young spores and large mature spores (40-50 mu m in diameter). The species is known to grow in highly unstable and undervalued habitats such as temporary ponds, which underscores the need for its conservation.