Gymnomitrion alpinum

Gymnomitrion alpinum
Phylum: Marchantiophyta
Family: Gymnomitriaceae
Genus: Gymnomitrion
Synonyms: Cesius alpinus fo. gracilis Kaal., Cesius alpinus fo. laxior (Gottsche & Rabenh.) Kaal., Cesius alpinus fo. pygmaeus Kaal., Cesius alpinus var. heterophyllus (Bernet) Jørg., Gymnomitrion alpinum fo. heterophyllum (Bernet) Müll. Frib., Gymnomitrion alpinum fo. laxius (Gottsche & Rabenh.) Schiffn., Gymnomitrion alpinum fo. payotii (Bernet) Zodda, Marsupella alpina (Gottsche ex Husn.) Bernet, Marsupella alpina fo. fusca Bernet, Marsupella alpina fo. heterophylla (Bernet) Bernet, Marsupella alpina fo. payotii Bernet, Marsupella alpina fo. procumbens Bernet, Marsupella alpina var. heterophylla (Bernet) Boulay, Marsupella alpina var. laxior (Gottsche & Rabenh.) Waddell, Nardia alpina Carrington, Nardia alpina var. laxior (Gottsche & Rabenh.) Carrington, Sarcocyphos alpinus fo. laxior Gottsche & Rabenh., Sarcocyphos alpinus Gottsche & Rabenh., Sarcocyphos alpinus var. heterophyllus Bernet, Sarcocyphos pectinatus Limpr. ex Payot, Sarcocyphos schismoides Hampe ex Gottsche & Rabenh.
Common NameAlpine Rustwort
Quick & Dirty IDXXXXXX
© Connor Wardrop
iNaturalist
© Randal Mindell
iNaturalist
© Mike Ryan
iNaturalist
© Mike Ryan
iNaturalist
© Connor Wardrop
iNaturalist
© Connor Wardrop
iNaturalist

Distinguishing Features

Forming fine carpets of rusty red shoots 1-2 mm wide over mineral soil and debris along flushes, G. alpinum has a lanky habit on account of its loosely overlapping bilobed leaves. HELP

Similar species

Red-hued species of Gymnomitrion are most likely to be mistaken for Marsupella. There are no cut and dried vegetative characters to distinguish between these two genera and reproductive structures used to traditionally seperate them are rarely present. Red species Gymnomitrion should be checked against small red species of Marsupella. See table for comparison to other regional species of Gymnomitrion.

Habitat

Moist to wet, usually seepy cliffs, rock outcrops, ledges, crevices, boulders, boggy slopes, snowbed sites, and tundra in the lowland, montane, subalpine, and alpine zones

Associated species

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Distribution Map

Relevant Literature