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tasmanian liverworts - jungermannia
chandonanthus squarrosus
1. Chandonanthus squarrosus details
We initially mistook this for a moss because of the appearance of radial leafing but shaving off part of the stem revealed two rows of leaves as well as one row of underleaves with heavy stem paraphyllia
Engel & Glenny's description (and accompanying drawing) has 4-7 small oil bodies occupying a small part of the cell lumen. Our specimen (pix 3) has oil bodies nearly filling the lumen; the underleaves (pix 4) have up to 8 oil bodies taking up virtually all the space in the cells. We have no idea what to make of this discrepancy.
The first specimen we encountered was growing on a rotting log under fairly dense cover. Second specimen was growing on the south side of a shaded exposed rock together with Lepicolea scolopendra and Huperzia varia.
 2. leaf |
 3. lateral leaf cells |
 4. underleaf cells |
 5. habit |
References:
- Engel, J.J. & Glenny, D., A Flora of the Liverworts and Hornworts
of New Zealand: Volume 1, (ISBN 1930723679), p. 641
- Schuster, R.M., The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North
America II, Columbia University Press, 1969 (ISBN
0231089821) p. 241 f.
Page URL: http://www.bluetier.org/Liverwort/chandonanthus-squarrosus.htm