Metzgeria furcata Forked Veilwort

A very common, pale-green, epiphytic, dioicous thallose liverwort which forms appressed patches or mats with forked, strap-shaped branches on the bark of trees and rocks. It grows on lots of species of trees but is most abundant on those with smooth, less acidic bark. It often forms neat circular or radiating colonies but it may also grow in extensive mats. Unlike Merzgeria consanguinea and Metzgeria violacea, Metzgeria furcata rarely produced gemmae. It is abundant throughout Britain except for the highlands of Scotland and it is ubiquitous in Wales. It is one of the most common epiphytes in West Glamorgan found almost anywhere where there are trees, often growing with Frullania dilatata. Male plants are less common than female plants and sporophyte capsules are occasional.