Endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was found in axenically cultured gametophytes of the leafy liverwort, Plagiochila arctica Bryhn and Kaal., by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Identification of the methylated auxin was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Addition of 57 micromolar IAA to cultures increased relative production of ethylene. This is the first definitive (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) demonstration of the natural occurrence of IAA in a bryophyte.