Guide to Liverworts of Oregon: Key to Calypogeia muelleriana (Schiffn.) K. Muell.
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Calypogeia 1b oil bodies colorless > Calypogeia 2a underleaves bifid > Calypogeia 3 shoots 2 - 4 mm wide > Calypogeia muelleriana
Synonym: None.
Special status: None.
Recognition: Oil bodies are clear, colorless, (2) 3 -- 5 (7) per cell; often chloroplasts are around the periphery of the cell, including the top and bottom (surface walls) so that you must look through a layer of chloroplasts to see the oil bodies. Sometimes chloroplasts are concentrated around lateral walls of the leaf cells and sparse across top and bottom of cells so that oil bodies are in unobstructed view. Oil bodies structure is heterogenous, some botryoidal and few segmented but most are multi-segmented and composed of small granules with a few larger segments embedded in them. The latter look like little pieces of chewed chewing gum. Care must be taken separating C. muelleriana from the much more common C. fissa.
Distribution: On both rotting wood and soil; widespread, but not common, across state in moist forest habitats.
Comments: This species was underappreciated in the past, when oil bodies were not used as identification markers. Early specimens are likely to be buried under C. azurea. The largest plant I have found in Oregon was 3.75 mm wide (DHW s.n., 2Nov1991) but in most colonies the mature shoots are from 2.0 to 2.5 mm wide.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Russian Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California. Shevock 57454, CAS.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Tenmile Creek Campground, Lane Co., Oregon. DHW 2 Nov 1991.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Anthony Lake, Baker Co., Oregon. DHW 8321.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Muddy Lake, Coos Co., Oregon. DHW m0787.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Muddy Lake, Coos Co., Oregon. DHW m0787.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Muddy Lake, Coos Co., Oregon. DHW m0787.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Muddy Lake, Coos Co., Oregon. DHW m0787.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Jack Creek, Jefferson Co., Oregon. DHW 7422.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Flynn Creek, Lincoln Co., Oregon. Rambo 5083.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Flynn Creek, Lincoln Co., Oregon. Rambo 5083.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Jack Creek, Jefferson Co., Oregon. DHW 7422.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Long Meadow, Grant Co., Oregon. DHW 8333a.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Anthony Lake, Baker Co., Oregon. DHW 8321.
Calypogeia muelleriana, Russian Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California. Shevock 57454, CAS.