Abstract
The Little Andaman Island lies a little towards the south of the Great Andaman group (North, Middle and South Andaman) from which it is separated by the Duncan Passage and covers an area of 739 sq. km. It is separated from the Nicobars by the 10° (Ten Degree) Channel. The climate is warm and humid tropical with the temperature ranging between 20°-32° C. The island receives rainfall twice a year, between May-September from the Southwest monsoon and October-December from the Northeast monsoon, resulting in an average annual rainfall of 3000-3500 mm. The mean relative humidity is between 82-85% throughout the year (Banerjee & Guha Roy, 2002).
During a recent collection of liverworts from Little Andaman Island, an area which has not so far been investigated for its bryoflora, 12 species were collected belonging to family Lejeuneaceae (11 species) and Marchantiaceae (01) species. This includes Cololejeunea gottschei (Steph.) Mizut., Lejeunea anisophylla Mont, and Marchantia linearis Lehm. & Lindenb. As new records for the bryoflora of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
All the specimens cited in the text have been deposited in the Cryptogamic section of the Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah (CAL).
