''Blasia pusilla'' is the only species in the

liverwort Liverworts are a group of non-vascular land plants forming the division Marchantiophyta (). They may also be referred to as hepatics. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Blasia''. This species establishes a symbiosis with

nitrogen-fixing Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular dinitrogen () is converted into ammonia (). It occurs both biologically and abiological nitrogen fixation, abiologically in chemical industry, chemical industries. Biological nitrogen ...

cyanobacteria of the genus ''

Nostoc ''Nostoc'', also known as star jelly, troll's butter, spit of moon, fallen star, witch's butter (not to be confused with the fungi commonly known as witches' butter), and witch's jelly, is the most common genus of cyanobacteria found in a variety ...

'', which are housed in special cavities, called auricles, occurring on the ventral (underside) surface of the thallus. ''Blasia'' is distinguished from ''

Cavicularia ''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. Plants are thalloid and flattened, with di ...

'' by the presence of a collar around the base of the

sporophyte A sporophyte () is one of the two alternation of generations, alternating multicellular organism, multicellular phases in the biological life cycle, life cycles of plants and algae. It is a diploid multicellular organism which produces asexual Spo ...

capsule, and a scattered arrangement of sperm-producing

antheridia An antheridium is a haploid structure or organ producing and containing male gametes (called ''antherozoids'' or sperm). The plural form is antheridia, and a structure containing one or more antheridia is called an androecium. The androecium is al ...

Rhizoid Rhizoids are protuberances that extend from the lower epidermal cells of bryophytes and algae. They are similar in structure and function to the root hairs of vascular land plants. Similar structures are formed by some fungi. Rhizoids may be un ...

s and gemmae of ''Blasia'' may be parasitized by the

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...

Blasiphalia ''Blasiphalia'' is a fungal genus in the family Repetobasidiaceae. A monotypic genus, it contains the honey colored omphalinoid agaricbr> ''Blasiphalia pseudogrisella'', which grows with the Marchantiophyta, liverwort genus ''Blasia''. Phylogen ...

''. The genus name of ''Blasia'' is in honour of Blasius Biagi (ca. 1670 - 1735), an Italian clergyman from village of

Vallombrosa Vallombrosa is a toponym which indicates both a forest and a ''frazione'', located within this forest, in the territory of the Reggello, Commune of Reggello, in the Metropolitan City of Florence, in the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. The villag ...

References

External links

* * Blasiales Liverwort genera Monotypic bryophyte genera Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Bryophyte-stub