Bonfire Liverwort

Marchantia berteroana is a flat, thalloid liverwort, with thallus up to 2 cm (0.79 in) long and 1.2 cm (0.47 in) wide. The thallus colour can range from dark green to yellow with a glossy surface, and is attached to the ground via rhizoids. Under a lens, pores can be seen on the upper surface. The gametangia (sex organs) grow vertically from the thallus, the plant is dioicous so individual plants produce male or female gametangia. The male gametangia are called an antheridiophores, they are short with a flat disc-like structure which is approximately 1 cm (0.39 in) wide. The female gametangia are called archegoniophores, they have a taller stem and an umbrella-like structure at the top, approximately 1 cm (0.39 in) wide, from which the common name is derived. They also reproduce asexually via gemma cups which form on the surface of the thallus, they are approx. 4 mm (0.16 in) wide and 3 mm (0.12 in) high. Gemma cups appear on the thallus more commonly in winter when rainfall is higher, as raindrops are required to disperse the gemmules. Marchantia berteroana contains the flavones isoscutellarein and hypolaetin 8-glucuronides. The composition and amount of these chemicals changes seasonally depending on the reproductive state of the plant, when gametangia are present there is an absence of acacetin and its glycosides.

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Marchantia berteroana can be found in Australia, New Zealand, Southern Africa, South America, Antarctica and, non-continental locations such as Papua New Guinea, Java, New Caledonia and various smaller islands.