From an extremely diverse ericaceous seap/ spray cliff community in a backcove, Copperas Creek Dist. RRG, KY
Honestly Iāve learned a lot today from just reading through guides:
Round lobed simple capsules are a distinct structural element associated with Metzgeriales within the liverwort group. These tend to be simple and black topped or simple and brown topped. The somewhat complex aggregate or umbrella looking structures are an associate with the flat thallus liverworts Marchantiales. These are considered relatively passed on outgroup characteristics or synapimorphic traits.
Only one group is present here though it is extremely hard to see strict features and potentially impossible for me to get an ID on outside of genera since I did not collect a specimen at the time ( 2020).Ā
Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts of the North EastĀ organized by Dr. Ralph Pope has an example of a specimen from PA photographed and collected by Dr. BobĀ āRobertā Kilps from OSU( Termatadon on IG go follow him seriously) Who is one of 5 decent lichen, moss, hornwort, and liverwort experts/bloggers in the state of Ohio.Ā
I know that this has to be Pellia spp. I would like to go with Pellia epiphylla, though another range relative exists that could possibly have disjunction in RRG. Pellia neesiana, is essentially the same; however, archegonium and antheridia are found on separate plants, making it ādioicousāĀ which must be the term used in these books to describe nonvascularĀ dioecious tendency (di = two ecium= house). The reproductive sections are on a psuedo-involucra l( ivolucre are true bracts, this is a bract like hood on the thallus)Ā hood or a phyllon hood( phyllon= upon the leaf). Since Pellia epiphylla has a range associated more southen than P. neesiana which isnāt found often south of Canada and I see two forms of setae occuring in-situ at the same time with translucent setae, I feel somewhat safe calling this Pellia epiphylla.
