Identification notes
This is likely to be the first leafy liverwort you will encounter as a beginner, since it is very common and occurs in almost any habitat. Look at it closely, the first few times you find it as it is very beautiful and has some interesting features. All of the leaves are conspicuously bilobed and of a pale green, translucent hue. The underleaves are large, bilobed and with each lobe itself bearing a side-tooth. The lobes spread widely, often wider than the stem. When sniffed, a characteristic ‘earthy’ smell is evident, which will become familiar to grazing bryologists. Once you’ve carefully noted all of these features, you are unlikely to confuse this species with any other except perhaps L. heterophylla, but that plant has only slightly notched or entire leaves towards the tip of the shoots.
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