libutron: Common Liverwort – Marchantia polymorpha Liverworts…
Common Liverwort – Marchantia polymorpha
Liverworts are not vascular plants, but a more primitive life form. They do not have true leaves like most organisms we consider plants, and do not have flowers (and thus do not produce seed), instead they have female and male sex organs forming on different plants. The male sex organs look like an umbrella while the female sex organs have finger-like projections.
Liverworts also reproduce asexually by means of gemmae (top photo), balls of cells which are genetically identical to the parent and are contained in cup-like structures on the upper surface of the plant. These are dispersed when rain splashes the cups and develop into new plants.
The Common Liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha (Marchantiaceae), forms dense, fleshy mats that grows prostrate on soil or sometimes rock in very wet, shaded areas. It can be found around throughout the entire world, but mostly in tropical areas.
Photo credit: ©Peter Bring | Locality: Odensbacken, Örebro Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden (2011) – [Top] – [Bottom]
Reposted from http://ift.tt/1yLrhdQ.
