Identifying Liverwort 2

Identifying Liverwort 2

Marchantia Polymorpha 

Name: Marchantia Polymorpha
Common name:  umbrella liverwort
Family:  Metzgeriaceae

Collection Date: 9/22/16

Habitat: Found in moist environment. Typically grows on rocks or soil. Can be found in banks of streams, bogs, fens and dune stacks. Often grows in man-made habitats. 

Location: South Chagrin Reservation

Description: Thallose liverwort with flattened thalli. The thalli are forked. Thalli can grow up to 10 cm long. Usually green but can become brown when older. Underside has root-like rhizoids. Gametophores are umbrella shaped, hence the common name 

Key used: Henry S. Conard, 1979, How to know the mosses and liverworts

Keying Steps: 

Step 1: Airpores visible capsules on underside of umbrella shape walls at capsules with ring shaped thickenings 

Step 2: Open or half cups of dish shaped gemmae, 4-9 fingers. Archagonia on underside of umbrella 

Step 3: cups round, fringed, thalli with thin scales along margin beneath, air pores elliptic

Step 4: Thallus around 1 cm wide without sclerenchymatous cells, gemmae cups, surface papillae, ventral scales in 6 or more rows.  

 Figure 1: view of Marchantia Polymorpha under scope. Difficult to observe due to clumping of leaves.

 Figure 2: View of Marchantia Polymorpha to the naked eye. Brown is dirt and soil.