Liverworts (Marchantiophyta) are small, non-vascular plants with a fascinating lifecycle typical of the bryophytes, which include mosses and hornworts. Due to their small size and growth habit, these primitive beauties are often overlooked, but they’re actually quite common. I often find them growing in the “splash” zone of shady seeps and brooks, typically clinging to rock surfaces. There are two types of liverworts: thallose liverworts, whose scaly, flat surfaces branch out in a “Y” pattern; and leafy liverworts, which have overlapping, leaf-like scales arranged in at least two rows. The photo above is of snakeskin liverwort (Conocephalum salebrosum), a thallose liverwort I found growing in a seep along the Mon River Trail. As you might surmise, liverworts make dramatic show plants in terrariums, especially if you can get them to sprawl over a rock surface.

snakeskin liverwort just wortin' it up it's named for the belief it could support liver health, thought to be such due to the doctrine of signatures, now largely disproven theory of how to source medicines from plants. on the doctrine of signatures on the snakeskin liverwort

Snakeskin liverwort

Some good mosses and liverworts. Possibly snakeskin liverwort? Anyways, they are all good.

/Conocephalum conicum/ s.l., snakeskin liverwort, ジャゴケ Family Conocephalaceae Part two of our double-feature is easily one the most distinguishable liverworts. /C. conicum/ is a common species in the field and in gardens, and can cover large areas of the soil, if moist enough. The gametophyte body is flattened [botanical term: thallose], shiny and speckled with air pores that are separated by deep grooves*,**. /C. conicum/ is dioecious, with male plants developing antheridial pads (Fig.1) and female plants developing 6-7 lobed archegoniophores (Fig.2) at their apical ends. Unlike seed plants, C. conicum and other bryophytes produce flagellated sperm in their antheridia (the dark regions in the antheridial pads in Fig. 1). Rain and moisture disperse the sperm and allow them to access the female bits (archegonia in the lobes of Fig.2), where fertilization takes place. After fertilization, the stalk of the archegoniophore (possibly?!) gets raised*** as the zygote matures into the sporophyte (black tissues under the hood in Fig.3), a short-lived structure that is sort of the bryophyte's version of the flower. The sporophyte dries up in a controlled manner, and releases spores, both male and female, which will grow into new plants in the gametophyte generation! When not feeling frisky, /C. conicum/ gametophytes produce overwintering buds at their tips, which grow into new plants in the spring (Fig. 4) 👶. . . *Taxonomy note: Liverwort specialists, esp in Japan, tend to reassign plants with this specific feature to another species /C. salebrosum/ or /orientalis/ or /purpurubreum/ or /toyota/ or whatever I am tired (Fig. 5 maybe?). As a non-specialist, I have no way of telling the species of Conocephalum apart, so I just call them all by the old name /C. conicum/, 'sensu lato' (latin for 'in the broad sense') . **Math nerds: do you see the Voronoi pattern? . ***My hypothesis. I anguished over this photo, and clarification is very. much. welcome!!! . Photos taken at Sankeien, Yokohama and Mt. Yoshino, Nara . Useful reference: Akiyama 2022. Humans and Nature 32: 1−45. . . . #liverwort #bryophyte #spring #plants #plantlove #plantsofinstagram #botanize #japan https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch52D-thYWw/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Conocephalum conicum

Great Scented Liverwort, Snakeskin Liverwort

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Living in an area where five land trusts protect land for us and the species with whom we share the Earth strikes me as a valuable reflection of who we are and where we live. Land trusts work with community members to acquire land for permanent conservation through purchases and donations. They also create legal and binding conservation easements that allow residents to protect land holdings in…

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Snakeskin Liverwort from a recent hike... does anyone know exactly what that scalloped-leaf vine is up there?

Conocephalum conicum aka the great scented liverwort, common mushroom-headed liverwort, or snakeskin liverwort

Snakeskin liverwort - 9/17 at Umstead State Park, North Carolina

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Snakeskin Liverwort, Conocephalum salebrosum #liverwort #botanyphotography #nature #naturephotography #primitiveplants https://www.instagram.com/p/CWuBwwxsanC/?utm_medium=tumblr