Petalophyllum ralfsii

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Petalophyllum ralfsii
Scientific classification
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P. ralfsii
Binomial name
Petalophyllum ralfsii

Petalophyllum ralfsii, the petalwort, [1] is a liverwort of the order Fossombroniales. [2] It is a small green bryophyte that occurs in the Mediterranean region as far east as Turkey, and along the Atlantic coast of Europe as far as northwest Scotland. [3] It grows primarily on moist sand dunes. [4]

Contents

Description

The plants are small, typically less than 15 mm long by 10 mm wide (0.6 in by 0.4 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 erect, leaf-like lamellae on their dorsal surface. [4] [5]

Distribution and habitat

Petalophyllum ralfsii has a widespread distribution across Europe, primarily in the Mediterranean region. It has a specific habitat requirement, being restricted to dune slacks with certain features; it needs open, damp conditions, often growing on low hummocks rather than on the wettest parts of the slack. In Britain, the largest population occurs at Achnahaird in Scotland, the most northerly point in its range. Other locations include Braunton Burrows and Dawlish Warren in Devon; Kenfig, Aberffraw and the Carmarthen Bay dunes in Wales; Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumberland; the Isles of Scilly and the Sefton Coast in Merseyside. These dunes are increasingly under threat, leading to the species being classified as "vulnerable", and the British Isles may now be the liverwort's stronghold. [4]

It sometimes grows beside paths, where trampling feet keep down competing vegetation. Plants with which this liverwort may be associated include various mosses, grasses such as the common bent ( Agrostis capillaris ), red fescue ( Festuca rubra ) and Yorkshire-fog ( Holcus lanatus ), the grey sedge ( Carex flacca ) and the buck’s-horn plantain ( Plantago coronopus ). [4]

Related Research Articles

Marchantiophyta Botanical division of non-vascular land plants that have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle and lack stomata

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.

<i>Lunularia</i> Genus of liverworts in the family Lunulariaceae

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 Order of liverwort plants

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.

<i>Marsupella profunda</i> Species of liverwort

Marsupella profunda, the western rustwort, is a liverwort native to Europe and known only from Portugal and Great Britain (Cornwall) and has been sighted in the Canary Islands. It is a small reddish liverwort and can be confused with Marsupella sprucei which has a more widespread distribution.

Jungermanniopsida Class of liverworts

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Helodium blandowii, also known as Blandow's helodium moss, Blandow's tamarisk-moss, Blandow's bogmoss, and Blandow's feathermoss, is a rare plant in the Western U.S., including Oregon and California. It occurs all around the northern hemisphere in higher latitudes, and in some places is not as rare as in the Western U.S.

<i>Cavicularia</i> Genus of liverworts

Cavicularia densa is the only species in the liverwort genus Cavicularia. The species was first described in 1897 by Franz Stephani, and is endemic to Japan, where it grows on fine moist soil.

<i>Platyhypnidium riparioides</i> Species of moss

Platyhypnidium riparioides, the long-beaked water feathermoss, is a species of aquatic moss commonly found in many regions. This species is among the largest aquatic mosses growing up to 15 cm long. P. riparioides grows in a procumbent or pendulous fashion along rocks and tree roots and may form extensive lax mats of many intermingled plants. It is widely distributed South of the Arctic and can grow abundantly in suitable areas.

<i>Pellia epiphylla</i> Species of liverworts in the family Pelliaceae

Pellia epiphylla is a species of thallose liverwort. It occurs in North America, Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia. It grows in patches in damp, sheltered places on neutral or acidic substrates. It is common on the banks of rivers, streams and ditches and also grows in wet woodland, marshes and on wet rocks.

<i>Ptilidium</i> Genus of liverworts

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.

Petalophyllaceae is a family of liverworts in the order Fossombroniales. Most species are thallose; that is, the plant is not differentiated into root, stem, and leaf. The thallus is typically small and bears lamellae on its dorsal surface that give it a ruffled, leafy appearance.

<i>Sphaerocarpos texanus</i> Species of plant

Sphaerocarpos texanus, the Texas balloonwort, is a species of liverwort in the Sphaerocarpaceae family, found in the Americas, northern Africa and Europe.

<i>Riella</i> Genus of liverworts

Riella is the only genus in the liverwort family Riellaceae, and includes about eighteen species. Plants in the genus are small and grow submerged in shallow temporary pools. Although the genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, locating populations is often difficult. Its occurrence is sporadic and local, and the tiny plants are ephemeral. The ornamented spores remain viable for several years, allowing the plants to survive annual drying of their habitat. The plants are easily grown in laboratory cultures.

<i>Ptilidium ciliare</i> Species of liverwort

Ptilidium ciliare is a liverwort with the common names ciliated fringewort and northern naugehyde liverwort. It is widespread in Canada, Alaska, the northeastern United States, Greenland, Iceland, and northern Europe occasionally as far south as northern Italy.

<i>Mylia taylorii</i> Species of liverwort

Mylia taylorii, the Taylor's flapwort, is a species of leafy liverwort.

<i>Racomitrium lanuginosum</i> Species of moss

Racomitrium lanuginosum is a widespread species of moss found in montane and arctic tundra across the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It grows as large mats on exposed rock and in boulder scree, particularly on acidic rocks. Its leaves have a characteristically decurrent and toothed hair-point, which gives rise to its regional common names woolly fringemoss, hoary rock-moss and woolly moss.

<i>Rhizomnium punctatum</i> Species of moss

Rhizomnium punctatum, also called dotted thyme-moss, is a small species in the genus Rhizomnium.

<i>Marchesinia mackaii</i> Species of liverwort

Marchesinia mackaii, MacKay's pouncewort, is a species of leafy liverwort.

Petalophyllum, or petalwort, is a genus of liverworts in the order Fossombroniales.

Petalophyllum americanum, common name petalwort, is a species of liverwort in the order Fossombroniales. It is endemic to the Gulf Coast of the United States in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. It was first described as the European species Petalophyllum ralfsii in 1919, but a detailed study later showed that the North American form is a distinct species.

References

  1. Edwards, Sean R. (2012). English Names for British Bryophytes. British Bryological Society Special Volume. 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. Rumsey, F.J., Vogel, J.C. and Russell, S.J. 2001. A study of genetic variation in the threatened hepatic Petalophyllum ralfsii (Wils.) Nees and Gottsche (Fossombroniaceae). Conservation Genetics, vol. 2, no. 3, p. 271-277.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "1395 Petalwort, "Petaolphyllum ralfsii"". Joint Nature Conservation Committee, U.K. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  5. Crandall-Stotler, B.J. 2017. "Bryophyte Flora of North America, Provisional Publication, Petalophyllaceae". Missouri Botanical Garden . Retrieved 4 September 2017.