More records of mosses from Dominican amber

Hypnum spec., Orthostichella cf. pentasticha, Syrrhopodon flexifolius and Porotrichum aff. substriatum are recorded from Dominican amber (c. 25 mio yrs. b.p.). The first two species were known before from Dominican amber, the last two are newly reported. Dominican amber is a rich source for fossil mosses from the Tertiary (Eocene to Pliocene), by the same time a chance for reconstruction of the neotropical mossflora from the Tertiary and a tool for reconstruction of phylogeny, and for determination of the speed of evolutionary processes. So far six publications dealt with the mosses from Dominican amber (Frahm 1996, 2001, 2004, Frahm & Reese 1998, Frahm & Newton 2005). The latest publication (Frahm & Newton 2005) lists 29 taxa. Part of these could be named to the species, others to the genus, and one fossil remained unidentified. The species are known in different frequency from one to sixteen (Calyptothecium duplicatum) specimens. Most of the species exist still today, only one (Acroporiites longirostris) was described as extinct extinct species. By the courtesy of Mr. Velten (Idstein, Germany), I received a small collection of mosses in Dominican amber for study, which are described here. The specimens are deposited in the private collection of Mr. Velten. Hypnum spec. (Velten 16) Fig. 1. Part of a branch of 7.5 mm length, narrowed towards the apex, with strongly falcate narrowly lanceolate, ecostate leaves. Such specimens were reported earlier from Dominican amber (Frahm 1993, 1996). As in these specimens, the leaf margins are entire, which excludes the extant species of this genus occurring today in the Carribbean, H. amabile and H. polypterum. Syrrhopodon cf. flexifolius (Velten 15) Fig. 4. The inclusion consists of a small fragment of a plant with four lingulate leaves plus three separate leaves. A costa is present and percurrent to very shortly excurrent. The leaves are bordered by hyaline elongate cells, hyaline basal