[3] C. conicum is one of the most common liverworts in northern hemisphere[4] and is widely distributed throughout Canada.

[5] C. conicum is found in open woodlands, sandy banks, wet rocks or cliffs and moist soils[3] and is strongly associated with calcareous substrates.

The thalli are very strong-smelling, with purplish margins; a dark green, leathery surface; flat and smooth.

Female plants have terminal conical receptacles on stalks, which are shortly lobed.

These fungi form a highly branched mycelium outside of the plant which then colonize the outside of the rhizoids and pass into the gametophyte.