leafy liverwort

Description:

Green leafy filamentous growth with bifurcating growth tips seen on a decaying log. Each branching stem had scaly leaves. These formed star-shaped patterns on the damp log.

Habitat:

spotted this on a damp log in a gully with a mix of native trees

Notes:

This liverwort is said to be a common sight in damp forests - see map for spread http://bie.ala.org.au/species/Bazzania Liverworts are primitive plants characterised by the following: -they have a single-cell attachment to the substrate, called a rhizoid -they do not have organised vascular tissue -having no "stomata" as in higher plants, they are not able to sav themselves from dehydrating when dry. some interesting facts about Liverworts: http://www.backyardnature.net/liverwrt.h...