Guide to Liverworts of Oregon: Leiocolea heterocolpos (Thed.) Buch
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Lophozia 1b oil bodies less than 12 per cell > Lophozia 5b leaves bilobed > Lophozia 8a underleaves present > Lophozia 9a gemmae frequent > Lophozia heterocolpos
Synonym: Lophozia heterocolpos (Thed.) M.A. Howe
Special Status: None
Recognition: Small to medium sized liverwort with bilobed leaves and (relatively) conspicuous underleaves; reddish-brown gemmae usually present at shoot tips.
Distribution: On rock; throughout western Oregon, at low elevations in the north but only higher elevations in the south.
Comments: Underleaves may be difficult to demonstrate. Place shoots in a drop of water on a slide with the shoot sector oriented so the ventral side is visible in side view or face on if possible.
It is interesting that Oregon material otherwise typical of the species has many more oil bodies than the literature from Europe reports. For example, Damsholt (2002) says this species usually has 2-4 (-5) oil bodies; the material illustrated below from Wahkeena has twice as many.
Lophozia heterocolpos - Sally Glade, Jackson Co., Oregon. DHW 6586. (Note: this specimen may be another species of Leiocolea and not L. heterocolpos.
Leiocolea heterocolpos - Wahkeena, Multnomah Co., Oregon. DHW m1347c.
Leiocolea heterocolpos - Wahkeena, Multnomah Co., Oregon. DHW m1347c.