Liverwort (Marchantia)

Liverwort (Marchantia) is a genus of plants in the Marchantiaceae, growing vines and attached to the soil surface, soft, dark green, upright phallus like a cup, grows in colonies on slopes and vertical soil that is moist and shady.

Marchantia has elongated strands, rounded ends, branched, flat margins and a black vein in the middle. The strands formed a circular formation, growing widely and forming new formations around it.

Sexual reproduction involves sperm from antheridia in male plants to fertilize ova in archegonia in female plants. The zygote develops into a small sporophyte which remains attached to the larger gametophyte. The sporophyte produces spores which develop into free-living male and female gametophytes.

Asexual reproduction via gemmae in the cup-like structures on the upper surface of the plant. Asexual reproduction can also occur when older plant parts die and new, surviving branches develop into separate plants.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Marchantiophyta
Class: Marchantiopsida
Order: Marchantiales
Family: Marchantiaceae
Genus: Marchantia

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