Chiloscyphus is a large and diverse leafy liverwort genus which
in Tasmania is represented by around 42 species, some of which have
been segregated into different varieties.
Many members of this genus was previously classed under
Lophocolea. In the field, Chiloscyphus can easily be confused for the
related Heteroscyphus. As
a whole however, many of the common Heteroscyphus spp. tend to be
larger than Chiloscyphus and the leaves of the former are
more consistently continuous with the underleaves, although this
character also occurs occasionally in Chiloscyphus (eg. C.
leucophyllus). More
specifically, the gynoecia (female sexual organs) of
Heteroscyphus always occur on short specialized branches arising
from the side of a shoot whereas those of Chiloscyphus mostly
arise from unspecialized leafy shoots.
Chiloscyphus semiteres is a common and variable species
that can be found in a wide range of habitats and
substrates. Chiloscyphus muricatus is another common species
which has distinctively hairy looking leaves.
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