Common Liverwort vs Narrow Mushroom-Headed Liverwort

Marchantia polymorpha compared with Marchantia quadrata

Key Differences

• Common Liverwort is Not Evaluated while Narrow Mushroom-Headed Liverwort is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Liverwort	Narrow Mushroom-Headed Liverwort
Kingdom same	Plantae (Pflanzen)	Plantae (Pflanzen)
Phylum same	Marchantiophyta (Lebermoose)	Marchantiophyta (Lebermoose)
Class same	Marchantiopsida (Marchantiopsida)	Marchantiopsida (Marchantiopsida)
Order same	Marchantiales (Marchantiales)	Marchantiales (Marchantiales)
Family same	Marchantiaceae	Marchantiaceae
Genus same	Marchantia	Marchantia
Species	Marchantia polymorpha	Marchantia quadrata

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Liverwort and Narrow Mushroom-Headed Liverwort share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Marchantia.

Conservation Status

Common Liverwort

NE — Not Evaluated

Narrow Mushroom-Headed Liverwort

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Liverwort	Narrow Mushroom-Headed Liverwort
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Liverwort

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

Narrow Mushroom-Headed Liverwort

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Common Liverwort

<em>Marchantia polymorpha</em>, the common liverwort, is a thalloid bryophyte in the family Marchantiaceae and one of the most cosmopolitan non-vascular plants on Earth. It is found across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, typically colonizing moist, shaded habitats such as stream banks, damp soil, rock surfaces, and disturbed ground. The common liverwort reproduces both sexually, producing umbrella-shaped reproductive structures called gametangiophores, and asexually through small disc-shaped gemmae produced in cup-shaped gemma cups on the thallus surface. Its flat, ribbon-like thallus with a distinct midrib is a recognizable feature of this species. The species has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN due to its wide distribution and abundance. Marchantia polymorpha is a model organism in plant biology, widely used in laboratory research to understand plant evolution, development, and genetics. It is one of the earliest diverging lineages of land plants, providing valuable insights into the evolutionary transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States