New Records of Mosses from Israel

Forty-four new moss species are reported from Israel for the first time. Distributional notes and habitat descriptions are provided for these species. Syntrichia echinata (Schiffn.) Herrnst. & Ben-Sasson is a new combination for Tortula echinata Schiffn. Since 1976 we have been engaged in the preparation of a detailed, illustrated Moss Flora of Israel. Our studies are based on collections deposited at the herbarium of The Hebrew University (HUJ), Jerusalem. These comprise: (1) specimens of various collectors accumulated between the years 1927-1955; (2) the private herbarium of the late F. Bi- lewsky collected during 1950-1979, donated by him to HUJ; (3) extensive collections made by the authors during the last four years (duplicates of most are at Mo). In this list of species new to Israel, we include only those not recorded under these or any other names in previous publications dealing with the moss flora of Israel (mainly Bilewsky 1965, 1970, 1974, 1977). If not otherwise noted, the names given below agree with those listed in the