LIVERWORTS LIVERWORTS MOSSES Heller’s Notchwort (Anastrophyllum hellerianum) Hatcher’s Paw-wort (Barbilophozia hatcheri) Key features for identifying Key features for identifying liverworts Mosses Growth form. There are two sorts of liverworts; leafy Growth form. Leaving aside the very distinctive bog- liverworts have a stem and leaves and resemble a mosses (Sphagnum), mosses can be split into two moss, whereas thallose or thalloid liverworts have a groups, acrocarpous and pleurocarpous. There is a simple strap of tissue with no stem or leaves. Leafy technical difference between these two forms but in liverworts can form erect cushions and turfs while some practical terms, acrocarps usually have erect stems are creeping and closely apressed to rock or tree. The and grow in cushions or turfs while pleurocarps tend size of the plant is also important; a number of oceanic Michael Lüth to grow with main stems parallel to the ground (or rock Leafy liverwort NS; size: very small and forming thin patches Leafy liverwort; size: small to medium-sized forming tight liverworts are very, very small. Above - Left: acrocarpous Scott’s Fork moss (Dicranum Above - Left: a thallose liverwort, Overleaf Pellia (Pellia or tree trunk) and form wefts. The often dense growth of upright stems; colour: yellow or yellow green with shoot patches of erect stems; colour: mid or yellow green, often with Leaf shape. This is all-important in leafy liverworts and scottianum) ; right: pleurocarpous Larger Mouse-tail epiphylla) with fruits; right: a leafy liverwort with round form of acrocarps means that their sparse branches tips red with gemmae; leaves: tiny with two lobes but hardly some shoot tips red with gemmae; leaves: rounded-rectangular leaves, Autumn Flapwort (Jamesoniella autumnalis). is much more variable than in mosses. Liverwort leaves Moss (Isothecium alopecuroides). are obscured while in pleurocarps the branches are can be simple and round, they can be deeply divided visible even with a lens; habitat: on well-rotted, rather damp in outline but with three or four lobes, each lobe usually ending into fi laments or into broader lobes, the lobes can be usually many and easily seen. logs; note: not easy to see without putting your nose to the in a little sharp point (lens); underleaves: usually visible with of different sizes and can be bent over or under each Branching. For some of the pleurocarps it is useful log but once spotted easily recognised by the erect stems a lens, with two long pointed lobes; habitat: on thin peaty soil other and formed into fl aps or pouches. Many liverworts to note what the pattern of branching looks like. Is with red tips. on rocks and in scree; note: a very similar and equally common also have pronounced teeth on the margin of the leaf, it regular with branches more or less opposite each species, Common Paw-wort (Barbilophozia fl oerkei), never has visible without a hand lens. Many leafy liverworts also gemmae and lacks points on the lobes have under-leaves, usually much smaller than the main other on the main stem (pinnate) or irregular? Are leaves, and on the lower side of the stem. the regular branches branched again (bi-pinnate) and Horned Flap-wort (Lophozia longidens) Monster Paw-wort (Tetralophozia setiformis) again (tri-pinnate) giving a fern-like structure? Photoset Left - A variety of leafy liverwort leaves, clockwise from top left: Taylor’s Flapwort (Mylia taylori), Prickly Colour. Colour and texture are all-important fi eld Featherwort (Plagiochila spinulosa), Ciliated Fringewort Above - Irregular branching in Red-stemmed Feather- characters. Many species have a particular shade, (Ptilidium ciliare), White earwort (Diplophyllum albicans - moss (Pleurozium schreberi) on the left and regular admittedly usually of green, which coupled with note upper lobe bent over the top of the lower and the line tri-pinnate branching in Glittering Wood-moss the structure of stem and leaf, gives a texture which of longer cells), Common Paw-wort (Barbilophozia fl oerkei), (Hylocomium splendens) on the right; note the red stems. is what the eye picks up from a distance. Another Bifi d Crestwort (Lophocolea bidentata), Creeping Fingerwort important colour is that of the main stem; when (Lepidozia reptans), part of stem with ‘fi ngered’ leaves. the leaves are dry they become opaque and it may be necessary to scrape away some leaves with your fi ngernail to see the stem colour. Michael Lüth Michael Lüth Leafy liverwort NS; size: small and forming loose patches Leafy liverwort NS; size: small to medium sized but often Abbreviations Leaf shape. Moss leaves have a variety of shapes but of normally procumbent stems; colour: mid or dark green forming large dense cushions of erect stems; colour: yellow they tend to be variations on the same theme, with NR – nationally rare; NS – nationally scarce; BAP – a Biodiversity Action Plan species; with some shoot tips red with gemmae; leaves: rectangular or sometimes orange or dark brown; leaves: inserted close a relatively broad base tapering to a narrower apex. S8 – listed on Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981). in outline but with two pointed lobes with an acute gap together across the stem with up to four long pointed lobes with Some leaves are long and narrow and taper to a fi ne between them, the leaves near the stem apex having dark red a narrow gap in between, lobes erect and pointing up the stem; point, others have a broad triangular shape tapering gemmae (lens); habitat: often present on the older, sprawling underleaves: large and with two lobes; habitat: on thin peaty shortly to a sharp point. Other mosses have leaves stems of juniper and also on thin peaty soil on rocks; note: soil on rocks and in scree; note: a characteristic species of dry with a blunt apex and a few species have round leaves. the red gemmae and the relatively long sharp lobes are scree in eastern hills and readily recognised by the tight cushions Further information Another useful character is whether or not the leaves characteristic. of erect stems and narrow lobes on the closely-set leaves. Books are all curved in the same direction (falcate) or bent British Mosses and liverworts: a fi eld guide. British Bryological Society (2010). The fi rst comprehensive colour fi eld guide to back from the stem (refl exed or squarrose). Some Curled Notchwort (Anastrophyllum saxicola) Ciliated Fringewort (Ptilidium ciliare) bryophytes with good keys and hundreds of photos. leaves also have teeth on the margin, usually visible Mosses and Liverworts; Gordon Rothero (2005). A brief, general introduction to Scottish bryophytes, part of the ‘Naturally only with a hand lens. Scottish’ series published by Scottish Natural Heritage, Battleby. Photoset above - A variety of moss-leaf shapes, clockwise Nerve (or costa). A very useful character is whether Bryophytes of native woods – a fi eld guide to common mosses and liverworts of Scotland’s native woods. Carol L Crawford from top left: Dotted Thyme-moss (Rhizomnium (2002), Native Woodlands Discussion Group. A small booklet with good colour photos. the moss leaf has a nerve or not. The nerve (or costa) punctatum), Catherine’s Moss (Atrichum undulatum), Mosses and Liverworts. New Naturalist 97, Porley RD & Hodgetts NG, (2005). Collins. An accessible account of our bryophyte is a thickened rib of tissue running up the centre of Little Shaggy-moss (Rhytidiadelphus loreus), Yellow heritage with a good section on woodlands. the leaf which looks like a dark line if the leaf is held Fringe-moss (Racomitrium aciculare), Common Striated The geographical relationships of British and Irish bryophytes; Hill MO & Preston CD (1998). Journal of Bryology, 20: 127-226. against the light and viewed with the hand-lens. It Feather-moss (Eurhynchium striatum), Cypress-leaved usually extends beyond halfway up the leaf and may Bryophytes of Information and advice Plait-moss (Hypnum cupressiforme). reach the apex. www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk. The British Bryological Society has an excellent website with useful information on publications, courses, fi eld meetings and lots of pictures. Leafy liverwort; size: medium-sized but often forming large Scotland’s pine woodlands www.nwdg.org.uk. The Native Woodland Discussion Group runs courses on Atlantic mosses and liverworts. cushions or patches; branching: irregularly pinnate, occasionally bi- Moss or liverwort? Leafy liverwort NR; size: medium sized but often forming pinnate, at right-angles to the stem, the branches blunt at the end Advice and Support colour: usually some shade of yellow but may be variegated red, large dense cushions of erect stems; colour: yellow or Plantlife Scotland can help you in your quest for information and support. Initially this is a tricky question but with a little experience it ceases to be a problem. Thallose liverworts are green or brownish; leaves: two lobes but the most noticeable feature greenish brown, occasionally with a reddish tinge; leaves: Plantlife Scotland, Balallan House, Allan Park, Stirling, FK8 2QG easy but leafy liverworts can be passed over as mosses by the uninitiated. In most mosses the leaves grow all is the margin which has lots of long narrow teeth (cilia) easily visible complex, two lobed with the smaller upper lobe folded up over Tel: +44 (0) 1786 478509 www.plantlife.org.uk [email protected] around the stem but in most liverworts the main leaves are in two ranks down each side of the stem, sometimes with a lens; underleaves: similar in shape to the main leaves but © March 2010 ISBN 978-1-907141-24-9 with a line of smaller under-leaves below. Most moss leaves are roughly triangular, wide at the base and narrow the larger lower lobe, the lower lobe is concave and the top much smaller; habitat: on well-drained sites with other bryophytes Plantlife Scotland is part of Plantlife International – the Wild Plant Conservation charity, a charitable company limited by guarantee.