Eremonotus myriocarpus
| Common Name | None |
| Frequency | Infrequent |
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Distinguishing Features
The scanty blackish mats of Eremonotus myriocarpus are almost imperceptable on the wet and shaded rocks on which they occur. The leafy shoots are less than 1/4 of a millimeter wide and between 2 and 8 mm long. They bear sharply and symmetrically bilobed leaves with a sinus that descends down to about half of the leaf’s length. Underleaves and gemmae are absent. Antheridia and archegonia, if present, are found on seperate plants (“dioicous”), with the perianth that surrounds the archegonia at the shoot tip greatly outsizing the surrounding leaves.
Similar species
With tiny dark shoots of sharply bilobed leaves, E. myriocarpus could be mistaken for species of Cephaloziella or Hygrobiella, genera which can occur in the same wet rock habitat. The slightly larger Hygrobiella laxa is identical in leaf shape and insertion, but its leaves are green and transluscent, not dark and opaque as in Eremonotus. The rock-dwelling species of Cephaloziella are pale green and whitish, with the exception of some forms of C. divaricata, which has leaves that are narrow than the stem. In E. myriocarpus, the leaves are wide than the stem.
Habitat
Moist to wet mineral soil, rock outcrops, cliffs, ledges, crevices, boulders, streambanks, and tundra in the lowland (rare), montane, subalpine, and alpine zones
Associated species
Blepharostoma trichophyllum, Blindia acuta, Anthelia sp.
Distribution Map
Relevant Literature
- Godfrey, J.D. (1977). Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of southwestern British Columbia . [Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia]. UBC cIRcle.
- Hong, W. S. (2007). Scapania. In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (Eds.), Flora of North America North of Mexico (Vol. 3) . Oxford University Press.
- Wagner, D. H. (2013). Guide to the liverworts of Oregon: Scapania undulata . Oregon State University Herbarium.