The Marchantiophyta are a division of non-vascular land plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of genetic information.
Lunularia cruciata, the crescent-cup liverwort, is a liverwort of the order Marchantiales, and the only species in the genus Lunularia and family Lunulariaceae. The name, from Latin luna, moon, refers to the moon-shaped gemmacups.
Metzgeriales is an order of liverworts. The group is sometimes called the simple thalloid liverworts: "thalloid" because the members lack structures resembling stems or leaves, and "simple" because their tissues are thin and relatively undifferentiated. All species in the order have a small gametophyte stage and a smaller, relatively short-lived, spore-bearing stage. Although these plants are almost entirely restricted to regions with high humidity or readily available moisture, the group as a whole is widely distributed, and occurs on every continent except Antarctica.
Lejeuneaceae is the largest family of liverworts. Most of its members are epiphytes found in the tropics, while others can be found in temperate regions.
Takakia is a genus of two species of mosses known from western North America and central and eastern Asia. The genus is placed as a separate family, order and class among the mosses. It has had a history of uncertain placement, but the discovery of sporophytes clearly of the moss-type firmly supports placement with the mosses.
Plagiochila is a large, common, and widespread genus of liverworts in order Jungermanniales. It is a member of the family Plagiochilaceae within that order. There may be anywhere from 500 to 1300 species, most of them from the tropics; the exact number is still under revision. The genus also has a wide distribution in temperate and arctic areas.
Metzgeria is a genus of thalloid liverworts in the family Metzgeriaceae.
Pallaviciniaceae is a widely distributed family of liverworts in the order Pallaviciniales. All species are thallose, typically organized as a thick central costa (midvein), each side with a broad wing of tissue one cell in thickness. All species are dioicous. The greatest diversity is in Australasia, with some species endemic to that region, though species belonging to the family may be found on every continent except Antarctica.
Phycolepidozia exigua is the only species of liverwort in the genus Phycolepidozia and family Phycolepidoziaceae. It is endemic to Dominica, where it is critically endangered. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Haplomitriopsida is a newly recognized class of liverworts comprising fifteen species in three genera. Recent cladistic analyses of nuclear, mitochondrial, and plastid gene sequences place this monophyletic group as the basal sister group to all other liverworts. The group thus provides a unique insight into the early evolution of liverworts in particular and of land plants in general.
Apotreubia is a genus of liverworts in the family Treubiaceae. There are four species: Apotreubia nana, which is found in subalpine New Guinea, and Apotreubia pusilla, which has a disjunct distribution between eastern Asia and British Columbia.
Treubia is a genus of liverworts in the family Treubiaceae. There are seven species, all of which are restricted to the southern hemisphere. Five of the species occur in Australasia and the other occurs in Chile. All species are dioicous, with separate male and female gametophytes.
Treubiites kidstonii is a fossil species of liverworts in the family Treubiitaceae. The only known fossils come from Late Carboniferous deposits of Shropshire, England.
Phyllothallia is a small genus of liverworts of the Southern Hemisphere. It is classified in order Metzgeriales and is the only member of the family Phyllothalliaceae within that order. Unlike most members of the Metzgeriales, Phyllothallia has a leafy appearance. The genus has a disjunct distribution, with the species Phyllothallia nivicola found in New Zealand while the other species in the genus, Phyllothallia fuegiana, occurs in Tierra del Fuego.
Sandeothallus is a small genus of liverworts restricted to East Asia. It is classified in order Metzgeriales and is the only member of the family Sandeothallaceae within that order.
Allisonia cockaynei is the only species of liverwort in the genus Allisonia and family Allisoniaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand.
Makinoa crispata is the only species of liverwort in the genus Makinoa and family Makinoaceae. The genus Verdoornia was formerly included in this family, but has been transferred to the family Aneuraceae on the basis of recent cladistic analysis of genetic sequences.
Pleurozia is the only genus of liverworts in the family Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the Jungermanniales. The genus includes twelve species, and as a whole is both physically distinctive and widely distributed.
Ptilidium is a genus of liverwort, and is the only genus in family Ptilidiaceae. It includes only three species: Ptilidium californicum, Ptilidium ciliare, and Ptilidium pulcherrimum. The genus is distributed throughout the arctic and subarctic, with disjunct populations in New Zealand and Tierra del Fuego. Molecular analysis suggests that the genus has few close relatives and diverged from other leafy liverworts early in their evolution.
Treubia scapanioides is a species of liverwort in the family Treubiaceae. Until recently, the genus was placed in the order Metzgeriales. There are only 6 species in the genus Treubia. Five are native to Australasia but T. scapanioides is known only from Chile.
