Book review

Hugonnot V. & Chavoutier J. L. 2021. Les Bryophytes de France. Volume I – Anthocérotes et Hépatiques. – Biotope Editions. Hardcover, 651 pp., > 1800 color photographs, in French, ISBN 978-2-36662-258-4, 65.– €.

Identification literature for European mosses can already be found in great abundance and excellent quality. The Scandinavian “Nationalnyckeln” of mosses, published in four volumes so far, have set new standards for regional bryophyte floras, and the magnificent volumes “Mosses of Europe” by Michael Lüth leave hardly anything to be desired. For the liverworts, however, there have been no comparable books so far.

All the greater is the merit of the authors Vincent Hugonnot and Jeannette Laica Chavoutier to present a modern liverwort flora for a large European country. Modern in this case means: a rich illustration based on modern color macro- and microphotography including digital techniques such as focus stacking. Illustrations are also included in the keys, so that most key steps are illustrated by one or two pictures. Each species is described and illustrated in detail.