WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Common and widespread throughout the UK. Habitat includes: wet shady areas such as on soil and rocky areas in gardens, parks, allotments, churchyards, base of walls, path sides, crevices, walls, woodland etc. Seen: All year round. Gametophor (reproductive parts) appear in June. This plant is dioecious. Female plants consist of a stalk with star-like rays at the top. These contain the organs which produce the ova. Male gametophores are topped by a flattened disc and produce the sperm. As fertilisation is rare they can also reproduce asexually with gemmae cups which form little discs (clones) of plant tissue that can be spread by water and wind. 3 subspecies: Marchantia polymorpha subsp. montivagans, Marchantia polymorpha subsp. polymorpha, Marchantia polymorpha subsp. ruderalis.