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tasmanian liverworts - jungermanniaceae

lophozia sp.

Lophozia sp.
1. habit


Lophozia species are predominantly a northern hemisphere liverwort with several species recorded from New Zealand. Only two species are reported for Tasmania, L. androgyna and L. tasmanica. Lacking a key to the species we have to make do with brief descriptions and temporary labels for the present.

Our first specimen (111127, pix 5-7) was relatively large with a stem diameter of 0.12 mm and had underleaves with teeth on the outside margins and 5-6 cells at base of underleaf lobes (pix 6). Leaf cells on the disks had 2-3 granular oil bodies. It was growing mixed with other bryophytes on a Nothofagus c. in the shade at an altitude of 750m.

The second specimen (120819B, pix 1-4) was a much smaller plant with stems a scant 30 µm across and had margins entire on the underleaves; this had only 2 cells at the base of underleaf lobes. There were 2-5(-9) granular oil bodies on the leaf disks. It was growing almost as a pure population on a Leptospermum tree a couple of hundred meters from where the first specimen was growing.

Engel & Glenny1 and Schuster2 discuss this genus extensively in their books but these have not been very helpful in determining the identity of local liverworts.

Lophozia 120819B
2. leaves
leaf cells
3. leaf cells
4. shoot


Lophozia 111127
5. leaves
6. underleaf
7 cells


- Engel, J.J. & Glenny, D., A Flora of the Liverworts and Hornworts of New Zealand: Volume 1 p. 645-66
- Schuster, RM, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America, Vol II, p. 252-638

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120821-1, 1, 10, 208, 2442