A rock crevice is brightly lit in the center, revealing a thalloid plant with a few tiny leafy stems emerging around it.

A small Vittaria appalachiana gametophyte mixed with a bryophyte.

A mass of thalloid material, like strips of lettuce, occupies a brightly-lit rock crevice.

A mass of gemma-bearing Vittaria appalachiana gametophytes in a rock crevice.

If you look closely, you can see the fringe of gemmae around the edges of the thalloid gametophytes. These are very close-in photographs: the filaments in the second picture are probably less than 1 mm across, I’d estimate. Many thanks to Tim Draude for showing us the site.

Observation Data

Classification & Common Names

General Observation Data
Additional Comments

Photographs taken during a fern foray led by Tim Draude. These gametophytes were growing in a dark overhang in Octoraro schist.

Location