CSUCI > Native Plants

Asterella

Liverwort

General: Asterella is a liverwort, a type of simple, nonvascular plant, akin to mosses. Like mosses, liverworts are restricted to moist habitats or moist times of the year.

CSUCI: This attractive little liverwort has not yet identified to species. Two species with the appearance are native to Southern California. One is dioecious (having separate male and female plants); the other is monoecious (having both male and female function in every plant). Plants at CSUCI have not yet been observed undergoing sexual reproduction, thus the species diagnosis remains uncertain.

Astrella is found widely around CSUCI, but only in well-shaded habitats (such as the shadiest parts of north facing slopes). It is active (green) only in the days or weeks immediately following rainfall. When dry and inactive, it is black and crusty.



	Asterella Liverwort General: Asterella is a liverwort, a type of simple, nonvascular plant, akin to mosses. Like mosses, liverworts are restricted to moist habitats or moist times of the year. CSUCI: This attractive little liverwort has not yet identified to species. Two species with the appearance are native to Southern California. One is dioecious (having separate male and female plants); the other is monoecious (having both male and female function in every plant). Plants at CSUCI have not yet been observed undergoing sexual reproduction, thus the species diagnosis remains uncertain. Astrella is found widely around CSUCI, but only in well-shaded habitats (such as the shadiest parts of north facing slopes). It is active (green) only in the days or weeks immediately following rainfall. When dry and inactive, it is black and crusty.