Frullania bolanderi
Marchantiophyta
Frullania bolanderi (XXXXXX)
Bolander’s Scalewort
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Distinguishing Features
In seasonally water saturated environments, this infrequent, tiny but fiesty Frullania is likely to be noticed on account of frilly little mm-scale shoots shooting out from light purple plants that are otherwise closely appressed to bark. Up close, the upper leaf segments are distantly spaced on extremely narrow shoots. These stand in contrast to the free shoots branching away from the substrate, which are modified into a whip-like appendage.
Similar species
No other species in the region has the whip-like "flagellate" shoots growing away from the substrate. The only Frullania species approaching the size of F. bolanderi is F. hattoriana, which is a montane species that, again, lacks the specialized branchlets.
Habitat
Tree trunks (esp. deciduous trees, Douglas-fir), branches, decayed wood, and occasionally rocks, humus, and mineral soil in the lowland zone; frequent in sw BC, rare in wc BC [Skeena R.].
Associated species
Radula complanata, Pulvigera sp., Porella navicularis, Neckera sp.