This checklist documents liverworts found in the Comanche National Grassland of Colorado with the intention of enriching our understanding of bryophyte biodiversity in Colorado as well as the high plains region. The study area sits beside the Purgatoire Watershed in southeastern Colorado, which lies between the Chihuahuan Desert and the Rocky Mountains ecosystems. Specimens from the grasslands were collected, reviewed and accessioned. These records add to our understanding of bryophyte biodiversity in Colorado and facilitate comparisons of species distributions through time. Eight species of liverworts were found: Aneura pinguis (Aneuraceae), Mannia californica, Mannia fragrans, Plagiochasma rupestre, P. wrightii, Reboulia hemisphaerica (Aytoniaceae), Frullania riparia (Frullaniaceae), and Riccia atromarginata (Ricciaceae). Mannia californica and Riccia atromarginata are newly documented for Colorado. The distributions, morphological characters and phylogenetic affinities of both these species are discussed.

Based on 308 specimens of Frullania Raddi collected in a variety of habitats in a 19-county region of northwestern Missouri between 2015-2018, 40 new county records are reported for this region dominated by agroecosystems. Six species of Frullania are now documented in northwestern Missouri. This study illustrates a broad distribution of a liverwort genus in a region of the Central United States. Despite extensive anthropogenic landscape conversion for over a century, riparian corridors, fire suppression, and conservation management have led to a heterogeneous network of forested habitats in northwestern Missouri.

Alectoria sorediosa is reported from Québec, Canada for the first time from the conifer zone above 1000 m in Parc national du Mont-Mégantic. This rare species has only been reported in North America five times previously. Ours is the second report from eastern North America.

Mosses and lichens are not generally used in green architecture and gardens in Canada, despite being widely used elsewhere in the world. This may be partly due to a lack of products that promote or incorporate them as landscaping elements. We built a low-cost growth cart specifically for mosses and lichens, called the “Moss Machine”, and tested its ability to grow four types of moss over 4.5 months in an indoor setting. Moss growth ranged from 1.5-4.5 cm over the duration of the study, with differences primarily due to species identity. The primary opportunity for improvement appears to be around the timing, duration, and overall management of watering regimens. We discuss other limitations and benefits of this initial design and recommend improvements for the next stage of development.