Jungermannia

Scientific name

Jungermannia L.

Family

Jungermanniaceae

Similar genera

other leafy liverworts, particularly Notoscyphus, and potentially some mosses

Native distribution

cosmopolitancosmopolitan:
(adj) essentially worldwide in distribution

Species cultivated

Jungermannia pseudocyclops Inoue

J. truncata Nees.

Weed status

Information not available

Habit

amphibiousamphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
, emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
to seasonally submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
, attached leafy liverwort

Brief description

Liverwort with leafletleaflet:
(n) one of the leaf-like units of a compound leaf
-shaped thallusthallus:
(n) a photosynthetic plant body that is not (or apparently not) differentiated into stems, roots, and leaves
lobes. Non spore-producing generation (gametophytegametophyte:
(n) the gamete-producing haploid phase in the plant life cycle; in some lower vascular plants it is multicellular and independent
) is dominant, stems prostrateprostrate:
(adj) growing closely along the ground
to ascending, or erect, variable, small to large, typically branched, yellowish-green to brown; rhizoids present or absent, colorless to brown or purplish. Leaves overlapping, typically ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
; base slightly decurrentdecurrent:
(adj) extending downward, beyond the point of insertion
to sheathing; underleaves absent. Spore-producing generation (sporophyte) emersedemersed:
see emergent
. Dispersal by spores and stem fragments.

Natural habitat

rocks in or along flowing water, seasonally submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface

Additional comments

Jungermannia is a large genus with over 200 species.

Both Jungermannia and Notoscyphus are typically yellowish-green in color, but depending on growing conditions Jungermannia can be brown and Notoscyphus can become red with age. The most distinguishing character is the absence of underleaves in Jungermannia and the presence of 2-lobed underleaves in Notoscyphus.