Mosses, Liverworts & Hornworts

Bryophyte is the collective name for the mosses, liverworts and hornworts. Bryophytes are spore-producing, rather than seed-producing, plants and they are all without flowers.

While there are marked differences between mosses, liverworts and hornworts, they are related closely enough to warrant a single term that includes all three. Bryophytes vary in size from plants only slightly over a millimetre tall to trailing species which grow to strands well over a metre long. Although they are often found in rainforests they can be found in a variety of habitats including arid and alpine areas. They occur most abundantly in relatively unpolluted areas. They can also be found growing on a variety of surfaces (or substrates) ranging from soil, rock, tree trunks, leaves, rotting wood, bones, to old discarded shoes or gloves. Bryophytes don’t have true roots. They have root-like anchoring structures called rhizoids but these do not actively extract minerals and water from the substrate.

You can read more about Bryophytes here: https://www.cpbr.gov.au/bryophyte/

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Significant sightings

• Plagiochasma rupestre at Conder, ACT
• Ricciocarpos natans at Kingston, ACT

Recent activity

Polytrichaceae sp. (family) at Whitlam, ACT

Polytrichaceae sp. (family) at Whitlam, ACT

Bryaceae (family)

Syntrichia sp. (genus)

Sphagnum sp. (genus) at Cotter River, ACT

Sphagnum sp. (genus) at Cotter River, ACT

Marchantia sp. (genus) at Yass River, NSW

Polytrichaceae sp. (family) at Whitlam, ACT

Polytrichaceae sp. (family) at Whitlam, ACT

Polytrichaceae sp. (family) at Whitlam, ACT

Species Richness Score (SRS)

3

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