Abstract:Hainan Island is a tropical island and the second largest island along the coast of China. The history, present situation of bryological researches in Hainan Island were reviewed. Based on published records, there are 806 species of bryophyte in Hainan Island, belonging to 227 genera of 87 families, of which 366 species in 71 genera of 33 families are liverworts, 436 species in 152 genera of 51 families are mosses, and four species in four genera of three families are hornworts. The Hainan Island bryoflora is dominant by Tropical Asian type, and has high phytogeographical similarity to Hong Kong and Taiwan. Regional studies on bryological investigations focused on Jianfengling, Bawangling and Diaoluoshan Nature Reserves. Epiphyllous liverworts is one of the commonest coenotypes of the tropical rainforests in Hainan Island, with 123 species belonging to 23 genera of seven families. There are 15 species of bryophytes from Hainan Island listed in the national red list of China. In the future, it should be considered to carry out the extensive and sustained diversity investigation, develop the researches in bryological ecology, chemistry and molecular biology, and promote the utilization and conservation of bryophytes.
