Lophocolea bidentata
Marchantiophyta
Lophocolea bidentata (Lophocoleaceae)
Bifid Crestwort
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Frequent
Distinguishing Features
Lophocolea bidentata occurs dependably on logs (amongst other substrates) as tightly appressed, light green and transluscent creeping leafy shoots to 3 mm wide and many centimeters long. The shallowly 2-lobed leaves are inserted roughly along the long axis of the stem, with their sharp and tapering apices seperated by a broad and round sinus. Narrow, two-lobed underleaves should be present and the lateral leaves maintain a consistent shape along the length of the stem.
Similar species
Species of Lophozia and Lophoziopsis have superficially similair leaves, but leaves in those species are not attached at their base along the long axis of the stem as in L. bidentata, nor do they have underleaves. Geocalyx graveolens does have nearly identical leaf attachment and bilobed shape, but its lobe tips are triangular, while those of L. bidentata have elongate, narrow tips. Species of Mesoptychia (especially M. gillmanii) can show similair leaf shape, but leaves in that genus are attached across the axis of the stem, not along it, and underleaves are unlobed, whereas in L. bidentata, they are bilobed. Within its genus, L. minor is smaller and has rounded, lobes covered in asexual spores ("gemmae"), while L. heterophylla has leaves that vary in form as you move along the stem, with some unlobed and those that are lobed varying between sharp and rounded lobe tips. L. bidentata is consistently sharply-lobed and gemmae on not present.
Habitat
Moist to wet, often shady humus, rock outcrops, cliffs, boulders, tree trunks (esp. deciduous trees), and decayed wood in the lowland and montane zones
Associated species
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