Pellia spp.
pellia
Northern Hemisphere (wet shaded ground)
Native to North America
SunFull Shade – Part Shade
WaterHigh
Overview
Pellia spp. is a genus of thallose liverworts in the family Pelliaceae, growing on wet soil, rock, and stream banks in shaded, humid places across the Northern Hemisphere. The plant body is a broad, flat, strap-shaped thallus 0.2-0.6 inch (5-15 mm) wide and a few inches long, branching irregularly and forming overlapping deep green, often glossy mats that hug the surface. The thallus is fleshy, with a thickened midrib and thinner wavy margins, and lacks the surface pattern of pores seen in some other thallose liverworts. Pellia spp. grows in flushes, on dripping rocks, in ditches, and along the banks of streams and springs, favouring constantly moist, neutral to base-rich ground. In spring, female plants produce spore capsules that split into four to release spores on a very long, fragile, white stalk that elongates rapidly over a day or two before collapsing. The genus tolerates deep shade and is a frequent member of streamside bryophyte communities. Many populations spread mainly by growth and fragmentation of the thallus. The smooth, glossy, midribbed thallus separates it from the patterned thalli of Marchantia spp. and Conocephalum spp..
Native Range
Pellia spp. occurs across the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia, and North America, growing on constantly wet, neutral to base-rich soil and rock in flushes, ditches, shaded banks, and beside streams and springs. It favours humid, shaded sites.Suggested Uses
Pellia spp. is grown in paludariums, bog gardens, and shaded water features for flat green cover on wet ground. It indicates clean, constantly wet, often base-rich habitats and is a common subject in bryophyte study. The genus contributes to streamside communities that hold moisture and stabilise banks.How to Identify
Appearance
Colors
Foliage Colors
Bloom Information
Liverworts do not flower. Pellia spp. reproduces by spores from capsules that split into four lobes, raised in spring on a very long, fragile white stalk that elongates over a day or two. It also spreads by growth and fragmentation of the thallus.
Growing Conditions
Sun Requirements
• 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