Scapania obscura
Marchantiophyta
Scapania obscura (Scapaniaceae)
Dark Earwort
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Rare
Distinguishing Features
Scapania obscura is an relatively small green to brown or even blackish aquatic plant to 2 cm long and 2 mm wide. The lobes have smooth margins, are nearly equal in size and converge along a rounded (not sharply-folded) keel. The lower lobe attached to the shoot down along the axis of the stem ("decurrent").
Similar species
Gymnocolea inflata can grow in similar habitats and is of similair size, but that species has truly even lobe sizes and underleaves. In. S. obscura, underleaves are absent the the upper lobe is slightly smaller than the lober lobe. Scapania undulata is also found in flowing water, but it is a much larger plant (shoots to 10+ cm long) with obvioulsly unequal lobes connected by a sharply folded keel. Shoots of S. obscura are small (<2 cm long) with nearly equal lobes that converge along a gently rounded keel.
Habitat
Moist to wet humus, rock outcrops, boulders, streambanks, springs, seepage areas, and tundra in the upper montane, subalpine, and alpine zones
Associated species
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