LIVERWORTS AT RICE CREEK FIELD STATION


Calypogeiaceae:

Calypogeia muelleriana (Sack Liverwort)

A leafy liverwort with two ranks of rounded leaves. Leaves "incubous", with the trailing edge of each leaf covered by the overlapping leading edge of the leaf behind (away from the tip of the stem). This liverwort was discovered growing in a mixed colony of mosses on the moist forest floor in the wildflower area along the Green Trail.

Return to Mosses and Liverworts
Return to Contents

Cephaloziaceae:

Nowellia curvifolia (Rustwort)

This is a tiny leafy liverwort with transversly attached (i.e. not overlapping) leaves each with two elongate, curved lobes. It is quite common on moist decaying logs but is easily overlooked. It can be bright green or dark brownish red. It can often be found growing intermixed with Lophocolea heterophylla.

Return to Mosses and Liverworts
Return to Contents

Harpanthaceae:

Lophocolea heterophylla (Crested Liverwort)

A relatively large but delicate leafy liverwort with toothed leaves. The leaves "succubous", with the leading edge of each leaf covered by the overlapping trailing edge of the leaf ahead (toward the tip of the stem) giving the appearance of overlapping shingles. Lophocolea is most likely to occur on the bare wood of rotting logs, particularly Scots Pine, where it often grows with Nowellia curvifolia.

Return to Mosses and Liverworts
Return to Contents

Jubulaceae:

Frullania inflata (Millipede Liverwort)

This tiny reddish brown to purplish liverwort growing on the bark of trees is common but easily overlooked. The leaves are "incubous", with the trailing edge of each leaf covered by the overlapping leading edge of the leaf behind (away from the tip of the stem). To find this plant, look for red-brown to purplish, often circular patches on tree trunks.

Return to Mosses and Liverworts
Return to Contents

Marchantiaceae:

Marchantia polymorpha (Common Liverwort)

Marchantia is the classic liverwort of introductory biology texts and laboratories. It is a large thalloid liverwort characterized by the bowl-like gemmae cups produced on its upper surface. The "gemmae" formed within these bowls are small bits of tissue capable of growing into a new thallus if separated from the parent plant. Organs of sexual reproduction are developed on stalked, umbrella-like structures that grow up from the thallus in the spring. The species is dioecious (separate male and female plants) and the efficiency of asexual reproduction by gemmae may result in the formation of a large colony of only one sex. Marchantia grows easily in greenhouses and terrariums. In the wild, it is found on bare, moist soil and rock. The specimen at Rice Creek was found on a mound of bare soil around a tree root at the shore of Rice Pond.

Return to Mosses and Liverworts
Return to Contents

Ptilidiaceae:

Ptilidium pulcherrimum (Tree Fringewort)

This small liverwort is distinguished by having the leaves deeply divided into many hair-like segments, best seen with some magnification. The plant is green to reddish-brown in color and forms flat, dense mats or tufts on trees and decaying logs. The material illustrated was found growing with Nowellia curvifolia on the bare, moist wood of a Scots Pine log.

Return to Mosses and Liverworts
Return to Contents

Radulaceae:

Radula companulata (Flat-Leaved Liverwort)

This leafy liverwort forms smooth, light green patches on the trunks of trees. The leaves are "incubous", the leading edge of each leaf overlaps the trailing edge of the leaf ahead (toward the tip of the stem) giving the appearance of overlapping shingles. The leaves are rounded, often with turned under edges. The specimen illustrated grew on the trunk of a large Sugar Maple in the old growth woodlot at Rice Creek.

Return to Mosses and Liverworts
Return to Contents

Ricciaceae:

Riccia fluitans (Floating Crystalwort)

This is an amphibious thalloid liverwort. It grows in shallow still water and persists on wet soil or dead leaves if the water dries up. In the water it is a cluster of thin green ribbons with "dichotomous" (Y-forked) branching. On soil it forms a broader thallus. It is abundant in the large vernal pool on the Orange Trail just north of the entrance road at Rice Creek.

Return to Mosses and Liverworts
Return to Contents