Lepidoziaceae is a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

leafy liverwort Jungermanniales is the largest Order (biology), order of Marchantiophyta, liverworts. They are distinctive among the liverworts for having thin leaf-like flaps on either side of the stem. Most other liverworts are thalloid, with no leaves. Due to ...

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

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of this family are found in

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

regions. The main characteristics of the family: 1. Oil bodies are small and unsegmented.
2. The leaves are never folded.
3a. In larger species, the leaves are three or four lobed (often dentate) and have an incubous insertion.
3b. In smaller species, the leaves may be divided to their base as filaments.

Description

Species may range from a light to dark green, with some species of ''Bazzania'' bluish-green to brown. When the plants branch, the branches do not grow from the underside of the stem. The leaves are not folded, but are lobed or divided. Species which grow as larger plants have the leaf tips divided in two to three lobes or teeth. Smaller species typically have their leaves divided all the way to the base in two to five thread-like strands of cells. The underleaves vary as well, but typically resemble smaller versions of the lateral leaves. The

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 are few and restricted to the base of the underleaves. Species of ''

Bazzania ''Bazzania'' is a genus of liverwort in the family Lepidoziaceae. The name ''Bazzania'' is in honour of Matteo Bazzani (1674–1749), an Italian botanist and professor of Anatomy from the University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, ...

'' may have long ventral branches.

Subfamilies and genera

Included subfamilies and genera: *(not assigned to a subfamily) **'' Mastigobryum'' **'' Meinungeria'' Frank Müll. **''

Sprucella ''Lepidozia'' is a genus of liverwort in the family Lepidoziaceae Lepidoziaceae is a Family (biology), family of leafy liverworts. It is a group of small plants that are widely distributed. Most of the species of this family are found in trop ...

'' 1886, * Bazzanioideae Rodway **'' Acromastigum'' A.Evans **''

'' Gray **'' Mastigopelma'' Mitt. * Drucelloideae R.M.Schust. **'' Drucella'' E.A.Hodgs. * Lembidioideae R.M.Schust. **'' Dendrolembidium'' Herzog **'' Hygrolembidium'' R.M.Schust. **'' Isolembidium'' R.M.Schust. **''

Kurzia ''Kurzia'' is a genus of Marchantiophyta, liverworts in the family Lepidoziaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete). ''Kurzia crenacanthoidea'' G. Martens is a synonym of ''Kurzia gonyotricha'' (Sande Lac.) Groll ...

'' G.Martens **'' Lembidium'' Mitt. **'' Megalembidium'' R.M.Schust. **'' Pseudocephalozia'' R.M.Schust. * Lepidozioideae Müll.Frib. **''

Ceramanus ''Ceramanus'' is a genus of leafy liverworts in the family Lepidoziaceae Lepidoziaceae is a Family (biology), family of leafy liverworts. It is a group of small plants that are widely distributed. Most of the species of this family are found ...

'' E.D.Cooper **''

Lepidozia ''Lepidozia'' is a genus of liverwort in the family Lepidoziaceae Lepidoziaceae is a Family (biology), family of leafy liverworts. It is a group of small plants that are widely distributed. Most of the species of this family are found in trop ...

'' (Dumort.) Dumort. **'' Neolepidozia'' Fulford & J.Taylor **'' Tricholepidozia'' (R.M.Schust.) E.D.Cooper * Micropterygioideae Grolle **'' Micropterygium'' Gottsche **''

Mytilopsis ''Mytilopsis'' is a genus of small fresh- and brackishwater mussels in the family Dreissenidae The Dreissenidae are a family of small freshwater aquatic bivalve molluscs, commonly called ''mussels'' although not at all closely related to tru ...

'' Spruce * Protocephalozioideae R.M.Schust. **'' Protcephalozia'' (Spruce) K.I.Goebel * Zoopsidoideae R.M.Schusts. **'' Amazoopsis'' J.J.Engel & G.I.Merr. **'' Hyalolepidozia'' S.W.Arnell ex Grolle **'' Monodactylopsis'' (R.M.Schust.) R.M.Schust. **'' Neogrollea'' E.A.Hodgs. **'' Odontoseries'' Fulford **'' Paracromastigum'' Fulford & J.Taylor **'' Psiloclada'' Mitt. **'' Pteropsiella'' Spruce **'' Telaranea'' Spruce ex Schiffn. **'' Zoopsidella'' R.M.Schust. **'' Zoopsis'' Hook.f. ex Gottsche

References

Other sources

# Meagher, David, and David Glenny. “A New Species of''Bazzania'' (Lepidoziaceae) from New Zealand.” ''Journal of Bryology'', vol. 29, no. 1, 2007, pp. 60–63., https://doi.org/10.1179/174328207x175184. # Deo, Siddhartha Singh, and D. K. Singh. “''Bazzania Bhutanica''(Lepidoziaceae, Marchantiophyta) — a Critically Endangered Liverwort Recorded in Indian Bryoflora.” ''Lindbergia'', vol. 2, 2014, pp. 42–46., https://doi.org/10.25227/linbg.01049. * Grolle, Riclef (1983). "Nomina generica Hepaticarum; references, types and synonymies". ''Acta Botanica Fennica'' 121, 1-62. {{Authority control Liverwort families