Conocephalum salebrosum
Snakewort, snakeskin liverwort, cat-tongue liverwort, mushroom-headed liverwort, great scented liverwort
Snakewort is a type of liverwort, a plant that lacks a vascular system, therefore remaining small.
Identification: At first glance, this looks like small, rounded leaves, until you do a double take and see the scales. The “leaf” is a thallus, about ⅜–¾″ across ⨉ 1¾–6″ long (1.2–2 ⨉ 5–15 cm). At the center, the thallus is 1/32″ (0.7 mm) thick, thinning to 7.9 mils (0.2 mm) at the edges. Upper surfaces of the thalli vary from yellow green to deep green to purplish green, depending on lighting and time of year. Thalli are wavy. The “scales” are air chambers, appearing whitish, with angled edges, and closely spaced, like tiles.
Habitats: Consistently moist, calcerous habitats, shaded or lit with dappled sunlight.
Online References:
6/9/2026 · Glen Ellis Falls, Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Division | Hepatophyta | Liverworts: simple, non-vascular plants |
| Subdivision | Hepaticae | Thallose and leafy liverworts |
| Class | Hepatopsida | Liverworts with prostrate form, extending horizontally, with leaflike form |
| Subclass | Marchantiae | |
| Order | Marchantiales | |
| Family | Conocephalaceae | |
| Genus | Conocephalum | |
| Species | salebrosum |
Conocephalum salebrosum description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.