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- Leafy Liverworts
- Jungermanniales
All images on this website have been taken in Leicestershire and Rutland by NatureSpot members. We welcome new contributions - just register and use the Submit Records form to post your photos. Click on any image below to visit the species page. The RED / AMBER / GREEN dots indicate how easy it is to identify the species - see our Identification Difficulty page for more information. A coloured rating followed by an exclamation mark denotes that different ID difficulties apply to either males and females or to the larvae - see the species page for more detail.
Liverworts
Mosses, liverworts and hornworts are small plants, commonly known as bryophytes. Though small, they are a fascinating and rewarding group for anyone wanting to learn more about them. As early colonisers they can be found in virtually all terrestrial habitats. Bare soil, wall tops, tarmac - indeed just about every crevice supports one or more species. As well as being all around us, they are a good option to study in January and February when most other plants and invertebrates are absent.
The British Bryological Society provides some excellent online guidance to help identify mosses and liverworts.
The BBS guides to common mosses and liverworts are very useful.
Many British species are found in the wetter, upland areas to the north and west or in coastal areas; Leicestersire and Rutland has relatively few species compared to other pasts of the British Isles. We recommend that the distribution maps on the BBS website's 'Species finder' are referred to.
Atherton, I., Bosanquet, S. & Lawley, M. (eds.) 2010. Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland: A Field Guide BBS is an accessible guide for non-specialists and is highly recommended. The BBS are currently planning a second edition.
Watson, E.V. (1981) British Mosses and Liverworts (3rd edition) CUP has keys that are more technical, based on cell shape and leaf characteristics that may require microscopic examination, but be aware that since it was published, there have been some changes in taxonomy, and some new species have arrived in the Biritish Isles.
There are two kinds of liverwort: Thallose and Leafy. Thallose liverworts have no leaves and no distinct stem (e.g Lunularia cruciata). To identify them, you may need to find the reproductive structures - the gemmae, or the male and female parts. Leafy liverworts have distinct stem and leaves arranged in 2 or 3 ranks e.g. Frullania dilatata). To identify some leafy liverworts, you may need to look at the microscopic details of the leaves - e.g. the shape of the underleaves; whether there is a nerve in the leaf; whether the leaf margin is toothed or has a margin of different cells, etc. Leafy liverwort specimens will keep for a long time in paper packets (not plastic) once they have dried out. They re-hydrate very quickly once water is added. The BBS website includes micro-photoographs of the leaves of some species, and the drawings in Watson (ref. above) are very helpful.
If you know of other websites or books that you would recommend, do let us know: info@naturespot.org
Leafy Liverworts
Leafy liverworts may have leaves in two ranks, with no underleaves, or in two ranks with a third row of leaves undeneath. Sometimes the underleaves are very small and hard to find by eye; a good hand lens or low powered microscope will be needed. The leaves are often divided into two lobed wit hthe smaller lobe bent over so that it is lying on or udner the larger lobe; this can look as though there a 4 ranks of leaves. Often the lobes are are cleft into two of more sectins, or may be toothed or fringed.
They can be found on a range of habitats and substrates, most ofen on living trees, dead or rotten wood, on bare ground, peat or mud, or on rocks and boulders.
Note that a few mosses - e.g Fissidens and Plagiothecium - also have leaves that ain two ranks, or appear to be.