BRYOPHYTES OF HIRTA, ST-KILDA

St Kilda is a remote but exceptionally interesting archipelago in the North Atlantic. Its rich bryoflora has not previously been documented. A list of the mosses and liverworts from the main island, Hirta, is g iven, including published records and additional species recorded on s eparate visits by the authors in 1959 and 1991. A total of 160 species is reported, comprising 56 liverworts and 104 mosses. The richness an d phytogeography of the bryoflora of Hirta is discussed in relation to climate, ecology and vegetation history and is compared with similar studies on other islands.