the large leafy liverwort of NZ's cool damp forest
- Size
- Width: 2–5 cm
- Lifespan
- 3–7 years
- Diet
- Grows on bark of trees, rocks, and rotting logs in damp, shaded forests. Requires consistent moisture, high humidity, and stable bark surfaces. Forms leafy, creeping mats of pale green to yellowish-green leaves that are delicate and finely divided.
- 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
- Native
- 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
The one that looks like a tiny fern has stems that are creeping and branching, forming loose, leafy mats on the bark. 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, the one that looks like it wants to be a fern but is too small, the one that is a tiny forest on the bark.
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 are arranged in two rows along the stem, with the leaves lying flat against the bark. The leaf margins are toothed, with 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, and 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.