Sphaerocarpales

Sphaerocarpos texanus

The Sphaerocarpales are an order of mosses from the class of Marchantiopsida ( which in turn are among the liverworts ).

Features

From habit ago the two families are very different: The Sphaerocarpaceae form on damp ground round rosettes Riellaceae form erect, winged stems and grow under water ( submerged ).

The common features are: archegonia and Sporogone are in striking pear-shaped proliferating Thallusgewebe. Antheridia and archegonia have a einzellschichtige envelope. Oil bodies are missing. The Sporogon has no Seta. The capsules are kleistokarp and let the most united in tetrads spores after dissolution of the capsule into the open. There shall be no elaters.

System

The large systematic position of the Sphaerocarpidae was previously unclear, since they strongly differ from the habit of the Marchantiidae. However, the lack of oil bodies in the normal lamina cells and the einzellschichtige ( leptosporangiate ) Sporogonwand justifies its classification in the Marchantiopsida.

With only about 30 species in two suborders, the Sphaerocarpidae are one of the species poorest major clades of liverworts:

• Riellineae, monotypic Riella with 12 species, submerged in salt water.

• Sphaerocarpos with 12 species. In Germany Sphaerocarpos michelii
• Sphaerocarpos texanus