''Pleurozia'' is the only

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 ...

liverworts Liverworts are a group of non-vascular plant, non-vascular embryophyte, 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 wh ...

in the

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 ...

Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the

Jungermanniales 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 ...

. The genus includes twelve species, and as a whole is both physically distinctive and widely distributed. The lower leaf lobes of ''Pleurozia'' species are fused, forming a closed water sac covered by a movable lid similar in structure to those of the

angiosperm Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit ...

genus ''

Utricularia ''Utricularia'', commonly and collectively called the bladderworts, is a genus of carnivorous plants consisting of approximately 233 species (precise counts differ based on classification opinions; a 2001 publication lists 215 species).Salmon, B ...

''. These sacs were assumed to play a role in water storage, but a 2005 study on '' Pleurozia purpurea'' found that the sacs attract and trap

ciliate The ciliates are a group of alveolates characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to flagellum, eukaryotic flagella, but are in general shorter and present in much larger numbers, with a ...

s, much in the same way as ''Utricularia''. Observations of plants ''in situ'' also revealed a large number of trapped prey within the sacs, suggesting that the species in this genus obtain some benefit from a

carnivorous A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose nutrition and energy requirements are met by consumption of animal tissues (mainly mu ...

habit. After '' Colura'', this was the second report of zoophagy among the liverworts.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Pleurozia'' has been subdivided into three subgenera: *''Pleurozia'' subg. ''Pleurozia'' **'' Pleurozia gigantea'' (Weber) Lindberg *''Pleurozia'' subg. ''Constantifolia'' Thiers **'' Pleurozia purpurea'' Lindberg **'' Pleurozia conchifolia'' (Hooker & Arnott) Austin *''Pleurozia'' subg. ''Diversifolia'' Thiers **'' Pleurozia acinosa'' (Mitten) Trevisan **'' Pleurozia articulata'' (Lindberg) Lindberg & Lackström **'' Pleurozia caledonica'' (Gottsche ex Jack) Stephani **'' Pleurozia curiosa'' Thiers **'' Pleurozia heterophylla'' Stephani ex Fulford **'' Pleurozia johannis-winkleri'' Herzog **'' Pleurozia paradoxa'' (Jack) Schiffner **'' Pleurozia subinflata'' (Austin) Austin *Unplaced **'' Pleurozia pocsii'' Müller

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q1351442, from2=Q17276784, from3=Q17276792 Pleuroziales Liverwort genera