California Liverworts (Asterella californica, Marchantiophyta) on sandstone rock
I believe these are California Liverworts (Asterella californica) coming back to life after our rain a couple of days ago. They are real "resurrection plants" that go from black crust to foliage all at once, visible in my photo from top to bottom. The small-leaved Orobus-seed Liverworts (Targionia hypophylla) are even faster, see this photo. Both liverworts live on sandstone rock outcrops, as the sandstone is porous enough to hold water after the rain. Am I imagining things or do these liverworts already have the bumpy tongue-like structures on the "leaves" that will become the flat asexual buds known as gemmae which splash out in the rain? Later in the year the same liverworts might producing umbrella-like sporophytes for sexual reproduction, see this photo. Bryophyte reproduction is really complicated! (San Marcos Pass, 31 October 2016)
California Liverworts (Asterella californica, Marchantiophyta) on sandstone rock
I believe these are California Liverworts (Asterella californica) coming back to life after our rain a couple of days ago. They are real "resurrection plants" that go from black crust to foliage all at once, visible in my photo from top to bottom. The small-leaved Orobus-seed Liverworts (Targionia hypophylla) are even faster, see this photo. Both liverworts live on sandstone rock outcrops, as the sandstone is porous enough to hold water after the rain. Am I imagining things or do these liverworts already have the bumpy tongue-like structures on the "leaves" that will become the flat asexual buds known as gemmae which splash out in the rain? Later in the year the same liverworts might producing umbrella-like sporophytes for sexual reproduction, see this photo. Bryophyte reproduction is really complicated! (San Marcos Pass, 31 October 2016)