Marchantia polymorpha

Why it’s special
Sometimes condemned as a nuisance weed, the Liverwort is a fascinating plant in the right environment – at its best seen in profusion in a wild setting. One of the most primitive of all plants, it belongs to the Bryophyta family which also includes the mosses and can trace its family tree back 400 million years to the earliest - and simplest - plants that emerged from the water.

Where to find it
20 different species of Liverwort, some of them extremely rare, have been recorded in Shanklin Chine, a 105ft fissure in the cliff which leads down from an opening at Shanklin Old Village.

What else is there at Shanklin Chine?
Famous for its flora and fauna, at least 150 varieties of wild plants and more than 50 species of moss and liverworts have so far been recorded in the chine. Ferns and grasses, Wild Garlic, Horsetails, Golden Saxifrage, Wild Fuchsia and Winter-flowering Heliotrope all grow in profusion. The chine walk leads along a deeply shaded path that winds down beside waterfalls to the shore. A permanent exhibition, The Island – Then and Now, has been extended for 2006 to feature a new ‘Flora of the
Island’ attraction.

Best time to see
Throughout the season.

Find out more
www.shanklinchine.co.uk
Tel: 01983 866432
Open: April-end October, 10am-5pm daily. Illuminated late May-mid September, 10am-10pm

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