Petalophyllum

Petalophyllum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Marchantiophyta
Class: Jungermanniopsida
Order: Fossombroniales
Family: Petalophyllaceae
Genus: Petalophyllum
Nees & Gottsche ex Lehmann
Species

Petalophyllum, or petalwort,[1] is a genus of liverworts in the order Fossombroniales.[2]

The plants are small, reaching lengths of up to about 15 mm (0.6 in), and thallose; that is, the plant is not differentiated into root, stem, and leaf. The thallus consists of a midrib flanked by two wings that bear leaf-like lamellae on their dorsal surface. The ventral surface bears rhizoids and two rows of small scales.[3]

Petalophyllum is dioicous. The gametangia are individually subtended by extensions of the dorsal lamellae. Antheridia occur in rows or clusters near the apex of the thallus. Archegonia are clustered and surrounded by a pesudoperianth. Asexual reproduction occurs via apical tubers.[3]

  1. ^ Edwards, Sean R. (2012). English Names for British Bryophytes. British Bryological Society Special Volume. Vol. 5 (4 ed.). Wootton, Northampton: British Bryological Society. ISBN 978-0-9561310-2-7. ISSN 0268-8034.
  2. ^ Crandall-Stotler, B.J., Stotler, R.E., and Long, D.G. 2009. Phylogeny and classification of the Marchantiophyta. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, vo. 66, no. 1, p. 155-198.
  3. ^ a b Crandall-Stotler, B.J. 2017. "Bryophyte Flora of North America, Provisional Publication, Petalophyllaceae". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 4 September 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)