Comprises "Australian mosses, synopsis of tribes and genera" by W. Mitten, and index to W. Mitten's "Australian mosses".

Flora of Australia Volume 51: Mosses 1 is the first of three volumes describing and illustrating more than 1000 species of Australian mosses. Together they will represent the first national account of these diverse and ecologically significant organisms. The main features of the first volume are: an introduction documenting 200 years of research on Australian mosses; moss classification and an overview of morphology and sexuality; an account of ecology and biodiversity; the origin and evolution of mosses; fossil bryophytes; and a key to the more than 300 genera of mosses known from Australia and its island territories. This volume includes traditional, Flora of Australia-style descriptions of 22 families, 42 genera and 238 species and infra-specific taxa, including synonymy, specimen citations and notes on habitat and distribution. Distribution maps are provided for species and infra-specific taxon as well as more than 50 pages of line-art illustrating habit and anatomy and 64 colour photographs.

Numerous taxonomic revisions and a substantial amount of additional floristic information have become available since the publication of Streimann & Curnow's Catalogue of Mosses of Australia and its External Territories in 1989. Monographs of Australian families and genera have included descriptions of many new taxa and the reduction of an even larger number of names to synonymy. Moreover, many taxa have been newly reported from Australia, while other Australian records have proved to be based on misidentifications or could not otherwise be confirmed. Taxonomic revisions from other regions have also resulted in many name changes among Australian taxa, and floristic research has provided numerous new State and Territory records.

This is the first of three volumes describing and illustrating more than 1000 species of Australian mosses. Together, they will represent the first national account of these diverse and ecologically significant organisms. The main features of the first volume are : An introduction documenting 200 years of research on Australian mosses ; moss classification and an overview of morphology and sexuality ; an account of ecology and biodiversity ; the origin and evolution of mosses ; fossil bryophytes ; and a key to the more than 300 genera of mosses known from Australia and its island territories. The volume includes traditional, Flora of Australia-style descriptions of 22 families, 42 genera and 238 species and infra-specific taxa, including synonymy, specimen citations and notes on habitat and distribution. Distribution maps are provided for each species and infra-specific taxon, as well as more than 50 pages of line-art illustrating habit and anatomy and 64 colour photographs.

Cover title: Australian mosses.