Desmarestia ligulata exhibits a heteromorphic life history pattern. In the warmer summer months the macroscopic Desmarestia ligulata life phase that we see is the diploid sporophyte phase. Toward the winter the sporophyte life phase produces mobile heterokont spores by meiosis. These haploid spores develop into the gametophyte which matures to produce male or female gametes through gametogenesis. These male and female gametes unite is the process of syngamy to produce a diploid zygote which develops into the embryonic sporophyte. This begining sporophyte matures to become the macroscopic sporophyte again in the summer.