Marsupella condensata
| Common Name | Compact Rustwort |
| Frequency | Rare |
Image Gallery
Distinguishing Features
Forming tiny chestnut brown and wormy threads less than .5mm wide and up to 3 cm long, M. condensata is a rarely-noticed component of shallow drainage fed by continuous snow melt in the mountains and tundrascapes of the region. The leaves are hard to make out without a hand lens and microscopic examination may be required for confident identification. Close inspection shows closely overlapping, bilobed and concave leaves with a moon-shaped (“lunate”) sinus (see photo) that descends to about ¼ of the leaf’s length.
Similar species
Other thread-like liverworts in its meltwater drainage habitat include species of Anthelia and Cephaloziella. The former differs in having silverish white, deeply dissected leaves, while the bilobed leaves of the latter are very distant and non-overlapping. Marsupella condensata is one of a number of tiny, thread-like species of Gymnomitrion and Marsupella. It is the only small, thread-like Marsupella with the moon-shaped (“lunate”) sinus. In all other species, the sinus descends to an acute point. Amongst the paler red-brown hued Gymnomitrion species, the same lunate sinus character distinguishes it; in G. apiculatum and G. concinnatum, the sinus has an acute base.
Habitat
Moist to wet, often shady rock outcrops, cliffs, ledges, crevices, boulders, and occasionally humus in the 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.