Marsupella sprucei

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Distinguishing Features

Known from only a handful of records from arctic and montane habitats in western North America, it has dark green to amber red bilobed leaves that are wider than and diverge clearly from the stem. Leafy shoots emerge from otherwise creeping, naked stems and are erect, standing about 5 mm tall and less than .5 mm wide. The leaves have plane margins and are attached across the length of the stem, where transparent rhizoids may be found. It is almost always fertile, with antheridia cupped in leaves that subtend the “marsupium”, a large terminal structure that encloses the developing archegonia and sporophytes.

Similar species

In its montane habitat on rocks and mineral soil adjacent meltwater flushes, there are two other species of Marsupella that might be mistaken for M. sprucei: M. sparsifolia has similar leaf arrangement and form, but has a “scorched” dark purple to black colour, wider shoots (>.5mm) and purple rhizoids, whereas in M. sprucei the leafy shoots are less than half a millimeter wide, brighter, amber in palour and bear clear or whitish rhizoids. M. brevissima is found in similar habitats, but has closely overlapping leaves on horizontal shoots that give the plant a “wormy” look. M. sphaecelata can also be found in the same habitat but it is an order of magnitude larger and has dark purple to black leaves.

Habitat

Moist, shady rock outcrops, cliffs, crevices, boulders, and snowbed sites in the montane and subalpine zones

Associated species

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.