Narrow Mushroom-Headed Liverwort

Marchantia quadrata is a liverwort species in the family Marchantiaceae. It is characterized by a flat, leaf-like thallus and is commonly found on damp rocks and soil along stream banks in the Northern Hemisphere. Originally placed in the genus Preissia due to its unique features, such as larger spores and the absence of typical cup-like reproductive structures, genetic studies have since placed it in the genus Marchantia. It reproduces both sexually, with male and female plants producing umbrella-like structures, and asexually through regeneration from fragments. This species prefers slightly drier habitats than its relatives and exhibits significant genetic variation across its range, suggesting it may represent several closely related species.