# mystery groundcover plant



## salix (Mar 28, 2008)

Does anyone have any idea what this is? The substrate in my viv was straight coco fiber. There was some wood, rocks, cork and oak leaves from my yard. There were a few odds and ends plants. All the plants had been stripped of their potting soil and rinsed quite well before adding to the tank. The tank was kept quite wet as it had a waterfall.

These plants came up as volunteers in the coco fiber. Originally it was just a couple of green specks, then it began to spread. It was starting to cover about 1/3 of the bottom of the tank and some had spread up onto the constantly wet wood.

Unfortunately, I decided to "redo" the tank. I carefully lifted these volunteers by lifting a layer of the substrate in pieces and putting it in a shoebox until I am ready to replant.

The pictures aren't super clear, but hopefully you can get an idea of what it might be. The first picture is kind of an overview, the second more of a closeup of some of the leaves. In the third picture for size perspective, you'll see a yellowish melo ff.

Any ideas? I liked it, the looks of it, how short it stays and how quickly it was spreading).


























Deb


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Some lind of liverwort perhaps? How old are they? almost looks like baby ferns germinating


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## salix (Mar 28, 2008)

They've been growing for about six months. It is less than a quarter inch tall, maybe an eighth. It's never gotten taller anywhere, it just keeps spreading sideways.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I like it a lot though, good riccia alternative


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Could also be a fern gametophyte / prothallus, but if it's been like that for 6 months then liverwort is also a possibility.


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## salix (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks, that will give me a starting point to do a little research. It obviously liked the viv conditions. I may put a little in several tanks. It actually looks pretty cool and was spreading quite well.


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## ggazonas (May 11, 2008)

I had the same thing happen in my 65, except it started to grow on the driftwood. Then I broke down the tank and whatever it was died. I recently set the tank up again maybe 8 months ago and after a couple of months it grew back. I have no idea hwat it is but it looks really nice. If you find out let me know


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## RedEyeTroyFrog (Jan 25, 2008)

i believe its some sort of liverwort, it has really gone crazy in my 150 gallon


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## Fishman (Jan 16, 2007)

Not to hijack but I am seeing a trend and have a question. In aquatic aquarium conditions the liverwort that survives can actualy catch and digest small aquatic organisims like rotifers, small daphnia etc. Is this of any concern in a viv? As in, will the liverwort be competing with the frogs for micro fauna we try to encourage in our vivs?


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## rushead (Dec 22, 2008)

Fishman said:


> Not to hijack but I am seeing a trend and have a question. In aquatic aquarium conditions the liverwort that survives can actualy catch and digest small aquatic organisims like rotifers, small daphnia etc. Is this of any concern in a viv? As in, will the liverwort be competing with the frogs for micro fauna we try to encourage in our vivs?


I have never heard that. Just have to throw this out there, could you be thinking of bladderworts?


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Judging by this picture...










... I think Michael hit it on the dot. I think these are young developing ferns.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Thats what I thought too, except fot the fact that they remain unchanged after 6 months


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

That happens sometimes. They could be waiting for a certain environmental change to trigger the production of the normal foliage.

Who knows!


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## salix (Mar 28, 2008)

Well, I'm setting up several new vivs (hence my recent bout of going crazy ordering plants, the final order arrived, thanks Antone!). I'll be putting the layer back into at least one viv. If I end up with a forest of ferns I guess we'll know,


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## dendrorandall (Apr 30, 2007)

could id be pellia?


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## Swords (Mar 4, 2009)

Hi there, I can't tell from your picture but are there tiny "ears" or cup shaped "holes" in the ground cover plant? If so and it grows in a little "plate" fashion than this would be a Liverwort of some sort. Like mosses it's one of the ancient bryophytes. If you want to spread the liverwort be sure to "rain" (mist) into the cups/ears this blasts the spores out of the cups and into the female holes. Don't mist down on them with force but enough to make fine "droplets" fall on them.

Look at this book for a great into to our terrariumscaping friends the bryophytes, very easy and informative reading on a neglected subject...








Amazon.com: Moss Gardening: Including Lichens, Liverworts and Other Miniatures: George H. Schenk: Books


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## hexentanz (Sep 18, 2008)

looks more like liverwort than any fern.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

If Im judging the size right by the pics, this looks exactly like the invasive liverwort thats popped up in my vivs in the last year, and i've mentioned several times in posts....i think its a liverwort. And it does make an awsome ground cover and so far in over a year mine hasn't gotten any bigger and actually seems to repel fern growth, as i get alot of small ferns popping up from my T and C moss, but when this stuff takes over, and by take over i mean actually grows right on the t and c moss it seems to lessen the appearance of ferns, but it could be coincidence.

I'd like to know how it reproduces and spreads, because i've seen no sporophytes, and it seems to pop up in areas where nothing is touching the other areas of growth, and no animals to track anything around, maybe a lil stuff gets knocked around when mist water hits or air currents...but it spreads very easily and seems much more tolerent of a range of conditions then moss. In fact i have a small 10gal thats been completely neglected for the last year and with the exception of a couple hardy plants, all the moss has died and this stuff is the only thing surviving...still nice and green, and super short  

If you like the look of moss but find it difficult to grow, or get impaitent waiting for it to spread this is the ground cover for you!


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