Lejeuneaceae
Colurolejeunea normannii (left) and C. ornata (right)
The Lejeuneaceae are a moss family from the class of Jungermanniopsida and under the leafy liverworts one of the most biodiverse. It is distributed with nearly 1300 species, especially in the tropics and subtropics. In Europe, only seven genera occur. Many species grow as epiphytes, especially on leaf surfaces of higher plants. Other species grow on rock or even on the elytra of beetles.
Features
It is relatively small to tiny and hardly even bare to the eye to be recognized plants. The width is less than 1.5 millimeters. A characteristic feature is the edge leaves that are divided into an upper and a lower lobe. The two lobes are still grown on the whole length on one side with each other, and the lower lobe is flipped. In this way, a sac-like or bag -like structure. The precise shape is typical for the individual genera and species. Lower leaves are usually present. The oil components are very small and numerous. The " perianth " is pear-shaped, sometimes has five wing-like folds and forms at the mouth of a short tube.
Occurrence
The main distribution area of the family are the tropical lowland rain forests. The Lejeuneaceae make up the bulk of the epiphyllous mosses. The few European genera are widespread western mediterranean - atlantic especially. They are considered here as tertiary relics.
System
The family is very difficult as systematically. They are probably the phylogenetically youngest moss Grupe. It consists of 87 genera with about 1280 species.
In Germany the following genera and species are indigenous:
- Cololejeunea Cololejeunea calcarea
- Cololejeunea rossettiana
- Lejeunea cavifolia
- Lejeunea lamecerina
- Microlejeunea ulicina
Other genera are, for example:
- Aphanolejeunea
- Ceratolejeunea
- Colura
- Drepanolejeunea
- Harpalejeunea
- Leptolejeunea
- Marchesinia
- Metzgeriopsis
- Odontolejeunea
- Taeniolejeunea