Apopellia alpicola
Marchantiophyta
Apopellia alpicola (Pelliaceae)
None
Infrequent
Distinguishing Features
Restricted to late snow areas of the subalpine and alpine, the frilly purple-green Apopellia alpicola is uncommon or underreported simple thalloid liverwort with upturned edges along a thallus up to 1 cm wide and 3 cm long.
Similar species
Species of Moerckia have large, simple thalli, but are typically adorned with abundant scales on the upper surface. Such scales are absent in Apopellia alpicola. Calycularia is similair, but has prominent pink-purple scales that can be seen with a hand lens on the underside of the thallus; these are likewise absent in A. alpicola. Pellia columbiana is a low elevation species that has a similarly dissected tube surrounding its developing sporophyte, but is unlikely to be found in the same high elevation environments of A. alpicola. P. epiphylla has antheridia and archegonia on the same plant (monoicous); in A. alpicola they are on seperate plants (dioicous). It is most likely to be confused with similairly dioicous P. neesiana, but in that species, the flap of tissue surrounding the developing archegonia and sporophytes has a smooth outer margin compared to the incised, tattered & toothed margin of this structure in A. alpicola.
Habitat
Late snow bed areas, alpine meadows.
Associated species
Rhizomnium nudum, Harpanthus flotovianus, Moerckia blyttii, Philonotis fontana