Hygrobiella laxifolia
| Common Name | Lax Notchwort |
| Frequency | Infrequent |
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Distinguishing Features
The name of this equally bilobed leafy liverwort betrays two important things: it is tied to water (“hygro”) and it is very small (“ella”). The tiny dark-green leafy shoots are about ½ mm wide and up to 2 cm long, the leaves themselves distantly spaced, inserted across the stem and bilobed with a sinus descending to about ⅓ of the leaf’s length. Underleaves are present and often hard to distinguish from lateral leaves. This is an infrequent species, found on rocks along creeks and waterfalls where coldwater reliably flows.
Similar species
The distantly-spaced, bilobed leaves that are attached at their base across the stem help distinguish this species from others that show superficial similarity. Cephalozia species can show small, distantly spaced, transversely inserted lateral leaves like those of Hygrobiella, but they lack the well developed underleaves of the latter. Gymnocolea inflata and Cladopodiella fluitans both have small, distantly arranged bilobed leaves and both likewise can grow on irrigated rock surfaces, but they also lack underleaves and their lateral leaves show dirty brown hues and lack the transparent quality of H. laxifolia. Eremenotus and Cephaloziella have species that are tiny and bilobed that creep along irrigated rock faces, but those too lack prominent underleaves.
Habitat
Moist to wet, often shady mineral soil (esp. gravel), cliffs, boulders, rocky seepage areas, streambanks, and waterfall spray zones in the lowland, montane, and subalpine zones
Associated species
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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.