Some Rare, Endemic, and Disjunct Liverworts in North Carolina

North Carolina has a diverse hepatic flora with 196 taxa of which 60 (31%) are considered rare. Rare species are those represented by very few collections and restricted by ecological requirements or by sensitivity to critical habitat destruction. These taxa are concentrated in the high elevation mountains, the southern escarpment gorges and the southeastern coastal plain. The rare liverworts are categorized into 1) those endemic to limited areas of eastern North America, 2) those disjunct from other populations, and 3) those which occur on the northern or southern limits of their range. North Carolina distributions are given and some factors contributing to the scarcity of these plants are discussed.