Status: Native
Synonyms:
None
Radula complanata is a leafy liverwort that has overlapping, crowded leaves in one plane (complanate.) Each leaf is comprised of two lobes. The upper lobe is are wider than long, nearly orbicular. There is no hint of a costa, as would be seen in a moss. The lower leaf lobe is about one third the size of the upper one, and it is quadrate (nearly rectangular) in shape. There is a large and very easily discernible brown oil body in the center of each cell, looking like a large nucleus. Many oval or disc-shaped gemmae (asexual reproductive buds) can commonly be seen along several of the leaf edges even in the field. Radula complanata is found in moist canyons near water but not submerged.
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Radula complanata, habit with green gemmae visible in many areas, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, north of McMillan campground on boulder along creek on Hwy 15, May 2, 2024
Radula complanata, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Mogollon Mtns., Bursum Road, May 17, 2010
Radula complanata, 5X macro of stem, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Mogollon Mtns., Bursum Road, May 17, 2010
Radula complanata, 100X photomicrograph of stem after thinning leaves to demonstrate quadrate shaped lower lobe of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Mogollon Mtns., Bursum Road, May 17, 2010
Radula complanata, 40X photomicrograph of stem and leaves with multiple marginal gemmae, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Mogollon Mtns., Bursum Road, May 17, 2010
Radula complanata, 40X photomicrograph of single leaf with both lobes and oil bodies in cells, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Mogollon Mtns., Bursum Road, May 17, 2010
Radula complanata, 400X photomicrograph leaf cells with large brown oil bodies, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Mogollon Mtns., Bursum Road, May 17, 2010
Radula complanata, 40X photomicrograph of perianth with maturing sporangium inside with spores and elaters expressed (with maturity the seta elongates and pushes the sporangium out of the perianth), photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Mogollon Mtns., Bursum Road, April 28, 2012
Radula complanata, 100X photomicrograph of perianth with maturing sporangium inside with spores and elaters expressed (with maturity the seta elongates and pushes the sporangium out of the perianth), photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Mogollon Mtns., Bursum Road, April 28, 2012
Radula complanata, 4X macro of perianths (with maturing sporangium inside-- with maturity the seta elongates and pushes the sporangium out of the perianth ), photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Mogollon Mtns., Willow Creek, Ben Lilly Campground, on rocks on cliff, June 24, 2013
Radula complanata, growth habit, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Cherry Creek Canyon, on large boulder, April 17, 2017
Radula complanata, gemmae growing on leaf margin, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, north of McMillan campground on boulder along creek on Hwy 15, May 2, 2024
Radula complanata, gemmae free on slide, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, north of McMillan campground on boulder along creek on Hwy 15, May 2, 2024
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