Common leafy liverwort is a large common liverwort found in higher elevation forests. It frequently occurs on a variety of substrates including coarse woody debris, the base of trees, and shaded rocks and boulders.

Like most leafy liverworts, the leaves are often lobed and arranged in two rows along the stem. Unlike most leafy liverworts with two-lobed leaves, the leaves of common leafy liverwort are four-lobed. The lobes are large and often have sharply pointed tips.

Like most liverworts, the leaf cells contain small glistening oil bodies that help in the identification of individual species and like most liverwort and mosses, the leaves are only one-cell thick.

Although common leafy liverwort is very common in BC, it is much less common to the south and is considered rare in Washington State.