Guide to Liverworts of Oregon: Lophozia obtusa (Lindb.) Evans
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Lophozia 1a oil bodies more than 15 per cell > Lophozia 2a leaf lobes rounded > Lophozia obtusa
Synonyms: Schistochilopsis obtusa (Lindb.) Potemkin; Obtusifolium obtusum (Lindb.) S.W. Arnell
Special Status: None; recommend search in subalpine habitats to review occurence.
Recognition: Characterized by bilobed leaves with rounded lobes, a feature shared with Gymnocolea inflata. However, this species has a pale green color contrasted with the dark brown coloration typical of Gymnocolea inflata. Examination of leaf cells of living plants is difinitive when the numerous, small (smaller than chloroplasts), uniglobular, colorless, oil bodies are seen.
Distribution: On peaty soil or rocks; at high elevations in the mountains.
Comments: Stotler and Crandall-Stotler (2017) recommended using Obtusifolium obtusum (Lindb.) S.W. Arnell as the accepted name for this species, in part because of its complicated taxonomic history. In this work a more traditional name is preferred for use in keys based on morphology. Also, it follows the treatment in Flora of North America (Bakalin 2011aa).
Despite being a characteristic feature of species in Lophozia subgenus Massula as defined by Schuster (1969), underleaves are difficult to demonstrate on L. obtusa. Paton (1999) mentions that underleaves are often absent, which is the situation in the California specimen illustrated below.
Lophozia obtusa - Female shoot. Russian Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California. Lenz 3014, CAS.
Lophozia obtusa - Female shoot. Russian Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California. Lenz 3014, CAS.
Lophozia obtusa - Whole shoots. Russian Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California. Lenz 3014, CAS.
Lophozia obtusa - Small shoot.Russian Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California. Lenz 3014, CAS.
Lophozia obtusa - Leaf. Russian Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California. Lenz 3014, CAS.
Lophozia obtusa - Midleaf cells. Russian Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California. Lenz 3014, CAS.