Scapania subalpina
Marchantiophyta
Scapania subalpina (Scapaniaceae)
Northern Earwort
Almost Equally Lobed Scapania
Infrequent
Distinguishing Features
Forming compact whitish green to reddish brown turfs over fine detritus on subalpine bedrock faces, S. subalpina is an infrequent species with leafy shoots 1.5-4 mm wide and up to 5 cm long. The leaves have smooth, round-triangular lobes that can appear to be almost equal in size, even if microscopic measurement suggests otherwise. The linear keel where the two lobes come together is sharply folded and the lower lobe attaches down along the axis of the shoot ("decurrent").
Similar species
Only one other regional species of Scapania has upper and lower lobes so close in size. Scapania obscura, however, has a rounded keel and brown pigmentation, while S. subalpina has an sharp keel and gold-to-red pigmentation.
Habitat
Wet rock outcrops, boulders, cliffs, humus, mineral soil, decayed wood, streambanks, and seepage sites, often submerged in flowing water, in the lowland, montane, subalpine, and alpine zones
Associated species
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