Gymnomitrion corallioides

Marchantiophyta
Gymnomitrion corallioides Nees (Gymnomitriaceae)
Coral Frostwort
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Infrequent

Distinguishing Features

One of the few liverworts to truly match its common name, G. coralloides presents as a lawn of densely compressed, pale whitish-green, rounded shoots to 2 cm tall by 2.5 mm wide not unlike a colony of tightly-packed corals in high elevation or high latitude areas. The leaves have two equal, rounded lobes and are tightly overlapping ("imbricate"). For confident identification, you should expect the shoots to be compressed, not round.

Similar species

See table

Habitat

Dry to moist cliffs, rock outcrops, ledges, crevices, boulders, and tundra in the montane, subalpine, and alpine zones

Associated species

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