Jungermanniaceae

The namesake family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...

 of leafy liverworts

Jungermanniales

Jungermanniales is the largest order of liverworts. They are distinctive among the liverworts for having thin leaf-like flaps on either side of the stem...

. It is a group of small plants that are widely distributed.

Most of the species

Species

In biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....

 of this family are found in temperate

Temperate

In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold. But in continental areas, such as central North America the variations between summer...

 regions.

The main characteristics of the family:

1. The leaves are succubous

Succubous

The term succubous is used to describe the way in which the leaves of a plant are attached to the stem. If you were to look down from above on a plant where the leaf attachment is succubous, the lower edge of each leaf would overlap the next lower leaf along the stem...

.

2. The leaves are unlobed and never decurrent along the stem.

3. Perianth is terminal on the leading shoot.

4. Rhizoid

Rhizoid

Rhizoids are a structure in plants, fungi and some other organisms that functions like a root in support or absorption.In fungi, rhizoids are small branching hyphae that grow downwards from the stolons that anchor the fungus. They release digestive enzymes and absorb digested organic material.In...

s are scattered along the stem.

While many species are green, some species may be brownish to reddish.

The namesake family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...

 of leafy liverworts

Jungermanniales

Jungermanniales is the largest order of liverworts. They are distinctive among the liverworts for having thin leaf-like flaps on either side of the stem...

. It is a group of small plants that are widely distributed.

Most of the species

Species

In biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....

 of this family are found in temperate

Temperate

In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold. But in continental areas, such as central North America the variations between summer...

 regions.

The main characteristics of the family:

1. The leaves are succubous

Succubous

The term succubous is used to describe the way in which the leaves of a plant are attached to the stem. If you were to look down from above on a plant where the leaf attachment is succubous, the lower edge of each leaf would overlap the next lower leaf along the stem...

.

2. The leaves are unlobed and never decurrent along the stem.

3. Perianth is terminal on the leading shoot.

4. Rhizoid

Rhizoid

Rhizoids are a structure in plants, fungi and some other organisms that functions like a root in support or absorption.In fungi, rhizoids are small branching hyphae that grow downwards from the stolons that anchor the fungus. They release digestive enzymes and absorb digested organic material.In...

s are scattered along the stem.

Family Description

While many species are green, some species may be brownish to reddish. When the plants branch, the branches do not grow from the underside of the stem.

The leaves are unlobed and have a smooth edge, although in Nardia

Nardia

Nardia is a genus of plant in family Jungermanniaceae. It contains the following species :* Nardia huerlimannii, Grolle & Vána...

the leaves may have a shallow notch at the tip or be shallowly bilobed. The underleaves are tapered and narrow in the genera Nardia and Mylia, but they are vestigial or absent in Jungermannia, Solenostoma, and Jamesoniella

Jamesoniella

Jamesoniella is a genus of liverwort in family Jungermanniaceae. It contains the following species :* Jamesoniella colorata, Schiffn.* Jamesoniella undulifolia, K. Muell....

.

The rhizoid

Rhizoid

Rhizoids are a structure in plants, fungi and some other organisms that functions like a root in support or absorption.In fungi, rhizoids are small branching hyphae that grow downwards from the stolons that anchor the fungus. They release digestive enzymes and absorb digested organic material.In...

s are scattered along the underside of the stem, and not restricted to specific patches near the underleaves. Species of Mylia and Nardia may have gemmae.