The 55 mph Liverwort

Far fewer liverworts show up on iNaturalist than do mosses. There is somewhere between two and three times as many moss species in Kentucky as compared to liverwort species, but the ratio of moss to liverwort observations on this project is approximately ten to one. Why the discrepancy? Most liverworts are rather small leafy species and, because of their tiny size, do not lend themselves to capture by a cell phone camera, at least not such that one can determine the species of liverwort by features recognizable in a cell phone photograph. Quite frequently, and it is true for many mosses as well, examination of liverworts under both dissecting and compound microscopes is necessary to be fully confident of the identification to the species level.

However, there is one liverwort, when the population is large, that one can identify on a fast drive by (hence my name for it, the 55 mph liverwort). Rustwort (Nowellia curvifolia) is a tiny liverwort (stems usually 0.5 to 1.0 mm wide with leaves also 0.5 - 1.0- mm long) commonly forming large single species colonies that can be many square meters in size. Interestingly, Nowellia curvifolia only forms these large colonies on logs that have lost their bark, thus growing directly on the wood. Well-developed colonies of rustwort are most common on logs of pine. I was excited yesterday (22 February 2023) to come across a large colony of rustwort in southern Rowan County near Cave Run Lake. Seven photos taken in the field of rustwort at this observation site can be seen at the link below:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/149444113
(feel free to copy and paste link to view rustwort near Cave Run Lake)

The above rustwort population was mainly a deep red, but the color can vary from a rich yellow-orange to deep red. Sometimes the colonies have the amber-like color of good honey.

So when out looking at the bryophytes of Kentucky, keep rustwort in mind. But please drive safely as you recognize those Nowellia-covered logs as you enjoy nature along the backroads of Kentucky! Rustwort can also add pleasure to your hike as you amble the Kentucky countryside at 3 mph. Enjoy either way!

Posted on 23 de fevereiro de 2023, 08:49 PM by kywanderer