ferns out on the damp rotting forest logs

Size
Width: 2–5 cm
Lifespan
3–7 years
Diet
Obtains nutrients via photosynthesis. Requires consistent moisture and high humidity. Grows on bark, rocks, and logs in shaded forests.
Habitat
Grows on bark of trees, rocks, and rotting logs in damp, shaded forests. Forms leafy, fern-like mats of pale green to yellowish-green leaves.
Range
Found throughout the North and South Islands on bark of native trees, rocks, and rotting logs in damp, shaded forests. Most common in lowland and montane forests with high rainfall. Also found in temperate regions worldwide.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
None significant. This species is common and widespread in damp, shaded forests. Localised threats include forest clearance, removal of old trees, and climate change reducing forest floor humidity.
Population
Not Threatened. Plagiochila liverwort is common on the bark of native trees, on rocks, and on rotting logs in damp, shaded forests throughout New Zealand. It is a widespread species found in temperate regions around the world.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
common liverwort, safe to handle
Conservation Note
Endemic liverwort; not assessed by NZTCS as bryophytes are generally outside the scope of current threat classifications.
Te Ao Māori
No recorded Māori name distinguishes the plagiochila liverwort from other liverworts. Liverworts were generally called pūkohu (mosses and lichens). The tiny, fern-like mats on the bark would have been noticed. They looked like the feathers of a bird. Like the fronds of a tiny fern. But no distinct name survives. The plagiochila liverwort was not used as a medicine or a dye. It was too small. Too delicate. Too easy to overlook. It was simply part of the forest.
Tiny fern-like mats float on the bark. Plagiochila liverwort is the one that looks like it wants to be a fern but is too small. It is a tiny forest on the bark. The stems are creeping and branching. Forming loose, leafy mats. The leaves are arranged in two rows along the stem. Overlapping like the leaves of a fern. The leaves are oval to oblong. With a pointed tip and a toothed margin. The colour is pale green to yellowish-green. Often with a translucent quality. It is the liverwort of the fern shape. What makes it special is the delicacy. Plagiochila liverwort is one of the most delicate-looking liverworts in New Zealand. Its leaves are thin and translucent. With finely toothed margins that give them a lacy, feathery appearance. The stems are slender and branching. Forming loose, open mats that seem to float on the bark. It is the liverwort of the lace. The one that looks like it was made by a careful hand. The one that is beautiful up close but invisible from a distance. The leaves lie flat against the bark. The leaf margins are toothed. Each tooth ending in a sharp point. The underleaves (amphigastria) are present but small. Often hidden by the overlapping leaves. Under a hand lens, the toothed margins are visible. Tiny points along the edge of each leaf. Biologically, the plagiochila liverwort reproduces by spores. Released from capsules on short stalks. It grows on the bark of native trees. On rocks. And on rotting logs in damp, shaded forests. To find plagiochila liverwort is to find the tiny, leafy mats on the tree bark. They are pale green. Delicate. Fern-like. A quiet presence on the trunk. You need a hand lens to see the toothed margins. The lacy edges. The delicate structure. It is the liverwort of the quiet presence. The one that is quietly everywhere once you start looking. The one that proves that the most common things are often the most beautiful. Populations are not threatened. Common on the bark of native trees. Rocks. And rotting logs in damp, shaded forests throughout New Zealand. Localised threats include forest clearance. Removal of old trees. Climate change reducing forest floor humidity.