Ptilidium pulcherrimum
Ptilidium pulcherrimum, commonly known as tree fringewort, is a secure liverwort found across North America, Northern Europe, and Asia.
Classification:
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Marchantiophyta
Class: Jungermanniopsida
Order: Ptilidiales
Family: Ptilidiaceae
Genus: Ptilidium
Species: P. pulcherrimum
Binomial name: Ptilidium pulcherrimum (Weber) Vain.
Description:
It is a leafy liverwort with a reddish to yellow-green color and leaves that are deeply divided. It grows in dense patches on tree bark with a pinnate (feather-like) branching pattern. The stems are usually hidden by the overlapping leaves. Each leaf is about 1.8 mm wide and 1.4 mm long.
Habitat:
Usually found on the trunks or branches of living trees and shrubs, but it can also grow on fallen logs or boulders.
Similar species:
It can be mistaken for P. ciliare. However, P. pulcherrimum is more common on wood, sits more tightly to the surface, and has deeper leaf divisions.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:35 (CET).