Guide to Liverworts of Oregon: Blepharostoma trichophyllum (L.) Dum.
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1b plants leafy > 3a leaves divided 1/2 or more > 4b leaves divided to base > 5a segments uniseriate to base > Blepharostoma 1a leaf segments mostly 3-4 > Blepharostoma trichophyllum
Synonym: Blepharostoma trichophyllum (L.) Dum. subsp. brevirete (Bryhn & Kaal.) R.M. Schust.
Special status: none.
Recognition: Under the hand lens in the field it looks as much like a tangle of filamentous algae as a liverwort. Difficult to describe, but readily recognized from illustrations. The distinctive feature of the genus is having leaves divided completely to the base into uniseriate lobes. Kurzia is of a similar size and general appearance but its leaf lobes are two cells wide at the base. For differentiation of the species of Blepharostoma see under B. arachnoideum.
Distribution: Very common on rotting wood or rock under humid or moist conditions; at all elevations in all habitats that support mesic forests. Of worldwide distribution.
Comments: Hong (1978) comments in a footnote that several collections, most particularly from the Wallowa Mountains, approach subsp. brevirete. I have seen plants from the North Cascades of Washington and Lane County, Oregon, illustrated below, that squarely fit the description of subsp. brevirete. The dwarfy extremes of this form are quite distinctive, leading some to suggest a distinct species is at hand. However, it appears to me that there is complete intergradation of the forms throughout their range. It is much more abundant in the far north. Molecular analysis may tease out the genotypic variations.
Blepharostoma trichophyllum. Andrews Experimental Forest, Lane County, Oregon. DHW field photo.
Blepharostoma trichophyllum. Myrtle Island, Douglas County, Oregon. DHW 7462.
Blepharostoma trichophyllum. Myrtle Island, Douglas County, Oregon. DHW 7462.
Blepharostoma trichophyllum subsp. trichophyllum. Tater Hill, Douglas County, Oregon. DHW 7372.
Blepharostoma trichophyllum subsp. brevirete. Muir Creek, Douglas County, Oregon. Loring 2255SL.
Blepharostoma trichophyllum subsp. brevirete. Muir Creek, Douglas County, Oregon. Loring 2255SL.
B. trichophyllum subsp. brevirete Schuster. Darrington District, Washington; USFS 1978.
B. trichophyllum subsp. brevirete Schuster. Darrington District, Washington; USFS 1978.
Blepharostoma trichophyllum subsp. brevirete, Smith Ridge, Linn Co., Oregon. DHW m1064a.
Blepharostoma trichophyllum subsp. brevirete, Smith Ridge, Linn Co., Oregon. DHW m1064a.