Orthocaulis floerkei Common Pawwort

A dark brownish-green, dioicous leafy liverwort with 3-lobed leaves which occurs mostly in upland habitats such as moorland slopes, rock crevices, soil-capped dry stone walls but occasionally in sandy heaths and coastal sand dunes. It is very similar to Orthocaulis atlatica, but it is usually larger and does not produce gemmae. If gemmae are not present, confirmation of marginal cilia at the base of the leaves, by microscopic examination (see photo), is usually required for safe identification. It is a Boreal-montane species with a mostly upland western and northern distribution in Britain. It is frequent in the Welsh uplands and scarce overall in West Glamorgan where there are some reasonable poulations in the upper Afan and Neath valleys. Sporophytes are rare.

This species was formerly and better known as Barbilophozia floerkei.