SafePlants

Cryptothallus mirabilis

Cryptothallus mirabilis, also known as Ghostwort, is a fascinating and unusual liverwort.

Considerations for Pets

• This plant grows in bogs.

Considerations for Children

• This plant grows in bogs.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Cryptothallus mirabilis Malmb.
• Common Name: Ghostwort
• Family: Aneuraceae
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Phylum: Hepatophyta
• Class: Jungermanniopsida
• Order: Metzgeriales
• Rank: Species
• Synonym: Aneura mirabilis (Malmb.) Wickett & Goffinet
• Alternative Scientific Name: Aneura mirabilis

Quirky Facts

• Cryptothallus mirabilis is entirely white due to the lack of chlorophyll, a pigment crucial for photosynthesis.
• The latin name is considered poetic.

Distribution and Habitat

• This liverwort has a wide but patchy distribution, including locations like Costa Rica, Greenland, Ireland, Portugal, Milngavie (Scotland), Eure-et-Loir (France), and various parts of Britain and Ireland.
• It is typically found in bogs, often near birch trees.

Morphological Characteristics

• The plant is entirely white.
• It typically reaches about 7 mm in size.

Ecological Role and Interactions

• Cryptothallus mirabilis is a myco-heterotrophic liverwort, meaning it obtains photosynthates indirectly from a host tree through a mycorrhizal association with a basidiomycete fungus (specifically, Tulasnella species).
• It lacks chlorophyll and relies on this symbiotic relationship for sustenance.
• It is considered a parasitic liverwort, exploiting the existing mycorrhizal network.

Genetic Information

• Relationships of the non-photosynthetic liverwort Cryptothallus mirabilis ( Metzgeriales, Aneuraceae) based on f loci.

Further Information

• British Bryological Society Checklist of British and Irish Bryophytes.
• ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System).
• NCBI Taxonomy checklist.
• Tropicos database.
• Dyntaxa - Svensk taxonomisk databas.
• EOL (Encyclopedia of Life).