Guide to Relative Size of Liverworts

Adapted from 'An Enthusiasts Guide to the Liverworts and Hornworts of Ontario'

Plant size may vary considerably in response to environmental conditions.

 

Complex Thallose Liverworts - Marchantiales

ranked from smallest (ca. 1mm wide) to largest (ca. 12 mm wide)

Riccia bifurca

Riccia frostii

Riccia hueberiana ssp. sullivantii

Riccia sorocarpa

Riccia cavernosa

Riccia beyrichiana

Riccia fluitans

Ricciocarpos natans

Mannia sibirica

Mannia triandra

Asterelia tenella

Mannia fragrans

Clevea hyalina

Reboulia hemispherica

Lunularia cruciata

Marchantia quadrata

Marchantia polymorpha var polymorpha

Marchantia polymorpha var ruderalis

Marchantia polymorpha var montivagans

Conocephalum salebrosum

 

Simple Thallose Liverworts - Metzgeriales

ranked from smallest (0.15 mm wide, 10 mm long) to largest (ca. 10 mm wide, 50 mm long)

Riccardia palmata

Riccardia latifrons

Riccardia multifida

Metzgeria furcata

Fossombronia wondraczekii

Fossombronia foveolata

Aneura pinguis

Pallavicinia lyellii

Moerckia flotoviana

Blasia pusilla

Metzgeria conjugata

Pellia neesiana

Apopellia megaspora

Pellia epiphylla

 

Leafy Liverworts - Jungermanniales

VERY SMALL; usually less than 1 mm wide; mostly less than 10 mm long; hard to see except under a microscope.

Crossocalyx hellerianus

Fuscocephaloziopsis catenulata

Cephalozia macounii

Cephaloziella divaricata

Cephaloziella elachista

Cephaloziella hampeana

Cephaloziella rubella

Cephaloziella rubella var sullivantii

Cephaloziella spinigera

Cololejeunea biddlecomiae

Frullania oakesiana

Frullania selwyniana

Harpanthus drummondii

Kurzia pauciflora

Kurzia sylvatica

Lejeunea cavifolia

Mesoptychia badensis

Scapania apiculata

Scapania glaucocephala

 

Leafy Liverworts - Jungermanniales

SMALL; from less than 1 to ca. 2 mm wide; up to 20 mm long; hand lens necessary to see clearly

Sphenolobus minutus var weberi

Blepharostoma trichophyllum

Calypogeia sphagnicola

Calypogeia suecica

Cephalozia bicuspidata

Fuscocephaloziopsis connivens

Fuscocephaloziopsis lunulifolta

Fuscocephaloziopsis pleniceps

Odontoschisma fluitans

Frullania bolanderi

Frullania brittoniae

Frullania eboracensis

Frullania inflata

Geocalyx graveolens

Gymnocolea inflata

Harpanthus scutatus

Solenostoma gracillimum

Jungermannia pumila

Lepidozia reptans

Lophocolea minor

Lophozia ascendens

Isopaches bicrenatus

Mesoptychia collaris

Mesoptychia heterocolpos

Schistochilopsis incisa

Lophoziopsis longidens

Lophozia ventricosa

Barbilophozia sudetica

Marsupella sparsifolia

Nardia insecta

Nowellia curvifolia

Odontoschisma denudatum

Odontoschisma macounii

Ptilidium pulcherrimum

Radula complanata

Scapania curta

Scapania cuspiduligera

Scapania gymnostophila

Scapania lingulata

Scapania mucronata

Scapania scandica

Scapania umbrosa

Tritomaria exsecta

Tritomaria exsectiformis

Tritomaria scitula

 

Leafy Liverworts - Jungermanniales

MEDIUM; (1)2-3 mm wide; 1.5 to 30+ mm long; can be distinguished with the naked eye.

Neoorthocaulis attenuatus

Neoorthocaulis binsteadii

Schljakovia kunzeana

Bazzania denudata

Calypogeia neogaea

Calypogeia integristipula

Calypogeia muelleriana

Calypogeia neesiana

Chiloscyphus pallescens

Chiloscyphus polyanthos

Diplophyllum taxifolium

Frullania asagrayana

Syzygiella autumnalis

Solenostoma crenuliforme

Solenostoma hyalinum

Liochlaena lanceolata

Lophocolea bidentata

Lophocolea heterophylla

Tritomaria capitata

Lophoziopsis excisa

Mesoptychia gillmanii

Schistochilopsis grandiretis

Mesoptychia heterocolpos

Tritomaria laxa

Lophozia wenzelii

Lophozia ventricosa

Marsupella sphacelata

Mylia anomala

Odontoschisma denudatum

Odontoschisma elongatum

Ptilidium ciliare

Scapania hyperborea

Scapania irrigua

Scapania subalpina

Tetralophozia setiformis

 

Leafy Liverworts - Jungermanniales

LARGE; over 3 mm wide; usually over 30 mm long; easy to see.

Anastrophyllum michauxii

Sphenolobus saxicola

Barbilophozia barbata

Barbilophozia hatcheri

Barbilophozia lycopodioides

Bazzania tricrenata

Bazzania trilobata

Chiloscyphus pallescens var. fragilis

Chiloscyphus polyanthos var. rivularis

Jungermannia exsertifolia ssp. cordifolia

Mesoptychia bantriensis

Schistochilopsis grandiretis

Mesoptychia rutheana

Marsupella emarginata

Mylia taylorii

Plagiochila porelloides

Porella pinnata

Porella platyphylla

Scapania degenii

Scapania nemorea

Scapania paludicola

Scapania spitzbergensis

Scapania undulata

Trichocolea tomentella

Tritomaria quinquedentata


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last update 2025-Jun-6