Liverworts

[fredg]

For many years I have been growing Sphagnum mosses as a medium for my carnivorous plants, so naturally one gets an acquaintance with other mosses that spring up. I also. annually, go around the local terrestrial orchid population and attempt to photo-document them and whilst doing so come across other mosses. This in turn generated an interest in other Bryophytes that associate with these plants. Lichens and Liverworts in mosses and yet more Lichens and Liverworts on rocks and branches. Lichens are of course not plants, they're a symbiotic relationship of a fungi with an alga, but the liverworts most certainly are and are members of the earliest plants to colonise the land. Anyway, enough prattle.

Here's a couple of photos of Marchantia polymorpha showing the gemmae pots.

The images are not quite as sharp as I'd have liked them but at this time of year the light just isn't that good for macro work.

 

[dozer1028]

Love liverworts thanks for sharing

 

[RL7836]

While looking at some interesting mosses a few years ago, I came across these plants - which I'd never seen before. I suspect they are a form of liverwort - is my guess accurate?
Wide view


Closeup

 

[swords]

Ron, I would say so, they just aren't showing the sexual characteristics of Fred's above.

I also love the Bryophytes. Someone really needs to do a nice book on them. I had one book years back: http://www.timberpress.com/books/moss_gardening/schenk/9780881923704

 

[fredg]

That's a beauty Ron.

http://toronto-wildlife.com/Plants/Liverworts/plants_liverworts.html

 

[corky]

There pretty
sharp images Fred,very interesting to see the gemmae pots,thanks for posting

 

[RL7836]

I also love the Bryophytes.

I originally was very fond of the liverworts that showed up in my pots. Eventually however, I noticed allelopathic tendencies, which in some cases, were rather severe. On a kayaking trip in the NJ Pine Barrens, this particular species of liverwort often covered the banks and absolutely nothing else grew there (not the one in the pics). Upon return, I did some googling which seemed to confirm my fears. Now, I consider those long stringy strands as the enemy (but typically not easy to eradicate).

When I came upon the Snake Liverwort thallus in habitat, I was very impressed by it's appearance. Do all liverworts demonstrate allelopathy?

 

[fredg]

A couple of photos of what I believe are Lunularia cruciata. Photographs taken on Xmas day or Dies Natalis Solis Invicti to us oldies.

Edit: The plants shown here I'm still unsure of identification.

 

[fredg]

Do all liverworts demonstrate allelopathy?

Ron, There are scientific papers on the allelopathy of some liverworts but mostly from the horticultural establishment they are regarded as a nuisance but do no damage. They are primary colonists and some do and can only grow where there is already no competition. I suppose that quite often it's a chicken and egg question.


This plant I've keyed out as Lunularia cruciata. The crescent shaped gemmae pot is to the right and several loose gemmae are evident in the centre of the frame. I'm still checking out the identity of the plants pictured above. This bryology lark can make the brain hurt when you're not used to having so many species to look at.

 

[fredg]

Here's a separate planting of Marchantia polymorpha ( purchased off ebay some months ago, mainly because it was there) showing the still covered gemmae pots.

 

[dozer1028]

How or where are you guys growing all these.. I love them but never thought of growing at home....

 

[JMN16150]

Mine grows on the potting medium that my utric grows in. They are hardy, but they prefer to stay moist.

 

[kulamauiman]

I have ones that make little palm tree reproductive structures. need to go find a take some pics....

 

[JMN16150]

Here's a few pics. I have it growing in a 2-3 part beach sand - 1 part ochid bark/perlite- half of 1 part crushed coral - 1 part peat mix with a little trichoderma, inside a terrarium and kept moist.

 

[theplantman]

This is one that makes the little palm trees (the sporophytes), although it's not reproducing right now.


Species 2, which does gemmae cups and has a different kind of sporophyte.

You can see the little stringy rhizoids, or primitive roots, in this one

Better shot. These are kept on a propagation mist bench and receive a 15-second mist every couple minutes. My soil is 1/2 of my Ping mix and 1/2 CP mix.

Species 3, which I collected from the Oconee River near the greenhouse.

 

[fredg]

Healthy looking plants there, nice

 

[dozer1028]

Very nice. .. looks like I will start growing these as well...

 

[Dexenthes]

Liverworts are very neat plants indeed. Their fruiting bodies can be so bizarre!

There are a lot of liverworts that grow in my area. I know I had some more impressive pictures than this, but oh well.

 

[JMN16150]

I have a feeling that if I saw those in real life, I would run away, screaming "ALIENS!!!!" at the top of my lungs

 

[Dexenthes]

Was out hiking today and was reminded of this thread when I encountered this today.

This picture doesn't really do it justice or adequately describe whats going on here. There is a small creek that runs continually beneath this patch of liverworts. When it rains very heavily the creek apparently runs both beneath the earth and then overflows into this liverwort covered layer of substrate that is made up almost entirely of fine grains of creek sand and chunks of quartz. I guess when it rains only normally(?) this area is totally "dry" and the watercourse continues only beneath it. It has been raining somewhat consistently these last few weeks/months; so it would seem that this secondary watercourse only comes into being during the most intense periods of precipitation, which for around here means something like 3+ inches of rain per day in succession.