#2217 - Marchantia sp. - Liverwort
Growing in delightful abundance next to the Visitors Centre at the Craters of the Moon. Probably the Common Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, which is found in damp and sometimes submerged habitats everywhere except Antarctica. Hardy enough to be a horticultural weed, and potentially a problem in caves with artificial light, and frequently the first plant to occupy burned areas.
Dioicous, having separate male and female plants. The umbrella-shaped ones in the top photo are female - male plants have smaller bits. But Marchantia can also spread asexually via gemmae - clumps of cells contained in cup-like structures on the upper surface of the plant until splashed out by rain, or when older parts of the plant die off and the newer branches develop into independent plants.
Craters of the Moon, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand












