Riccia campbelliana
| Common Name | Campbell's Crystalwort |
| Quick & Dirty ID | Orange-Fringed Riccia |
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Distinguishing Features
Found amongst other species of Riccia on fine, seasonally saturated and disturbed soils, R. campbelliana is remarkable on account of the orange fringes present along the margins of its wide-spreading thallus. The thallus has a deep groove (“sulcus”) and away from the margins is a light green. It branches dichotomously 1-3 times. Confident identification may require microscopy to look at size (90-110 um) and ornamentation (winged on the edges, with wormy sculpture on the faces) of the dark brown spores. These can be retrieved from the sporophytes, which are embedded in the thallus tissues along the groove. This species is currently disjunct between California and Southern British Columbia and should be expected somewhere in between.
Similar species
The orange hue of the thallus margins sets this species apart from all other Riccia in the Pacific Northwest.
Habitat
Seasonally moist fine mineral soil, especially around steeper and rockier seepage sites and ephemeral pools. Uncommon to Rare, SW & SC BC.
Associated species
Riccia sorocarpa, Riccia crinita, Riccia beyrichiana, Fossombronia foveolata, Pleuridium acuminatum, Gemmabryum barnesii
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.