Calasterella californica
California asterella
Container Friendly
Native to North America
SunPart Shade – Full Shade
WaterHigh
Overview
Calasterella californica is a thalloid liverwort, a low non-vascular plant that grows as a flat, ribbon-like green thallus rather than as a stemmed and leafy plant. The thallus is 0.2-0.6 inch (5-15 mm) wide, forking into lobes, green to grayish-green above with purplish scales beneath, and held to the soil by thread-like rhizoids. It grows in colonies forming low mats or rosettes on bare soil. Reproduction is by spores: umbrella-shaped stalked receptacles rise from the thallus and release spores from beneath their lobes, mainly in the cool, moist season. Calasterella californica grows on shaded banks, seasonally moist soil, rock crevices, and disturbed ground in California and other parts of western North America, often appearing after winter rains and drying or curling in summer. As a non-vascular plant it has no roots, flowers, or true leaves, and it depends on surface moisture. It revives and resumes growth when wetted after dry spells.
Native Range
Calasterella californica occurs in western North America, including California and adjacent regions, with a broader distribution in seasonally dry, Mediterranean-type climates. It grows on shaded soil banks, rock crevices, and moist disturbed ground that wets in the cool season.Suggested Uses
Calasterella californica is grown in terrariums, shaded soil beds, and naturalistic moss-and-liverwort plantings on damp ground. It forms a low green mat on bare soil in shaded, humid settings. It also appears on its own as a colonizer of disturbed, seasonally moist soil.How to Identify
Appearance
Bloom Information
As a liverwort, it does not flower. Spore-bearing umbrella-shaped receptacles develop in the cool, moist months, generally winter into spring, and release spores as the thallus matures. The plant is most visible during this wet period and shrivels in summer drought.
Growing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Tolerates up to 4 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Calasterella californica grows in shade to part shade on bare, moist mineral soil, rock crevices, and shaded banks, on a slightly acidic to neutral substrate. It depends on surface moisture during the cool season and naturally dries, curls, or goes dormant in summer, reviving when rains return. It needs no fertilizer and spreads on its own across suitable damp soil. Growth is poor on deep litter, in dense competing vegetation, and in hot, dry, exposed sites. In cultivation it is kept in shaded, consistently humid conditions such as a terrarium or shaded soil bed. It has no roots and draws moisture across its surface.Pruning
No pruning applies to this liverwort, which has no stems or woody parts. Crowded mats can be divided and pressed onto fresh moist soil to start new colonies. Spent receptacles wither on their own after releasing spores.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons