Bryophytes (Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts) • Earth.com

Lunularia

(Lunularia)

en

Description

Lunularia is not purely asexual; it can also reproduce sexually (see illustration) with four archegonia arranged in a cross-shaped head (hence the specific name cruciata) bearing diploid sporophyte plantlets. As in other liverworts, the main plant body or thallus is a haploid gametophyte. Like many other liverwort species, Lunularia produces a dihydrostilbenoid growth hormone, lunularic acid, that is reported to be a growth inhibitor of liverworts.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Hepaticophyta
Class: Hepaticopsida
Order:Marchantiales
Family:Lunulariaceae
Genus:Lunularia
News coming your way
The biggest news about our planet delivered to you each day