Liverwort

Scientific Classification & Quick Facts

Common name	Liverwort
Scientific name	Marchantiophyta
Kingdom	Plantae
Type	Small non-vascular green plant
Habitat	Humid, damp, shady places
Native range	Tropics and temperate regions worldwide
Size	2–20 mm wide, up to 10 cm long
Special feature	8,000–9,000 species; reproduce by spores

Liverworts, also called hepatics, make up a plant group called Marchantiophyta. They are non-vascular plants, which means they have no tubes (xylem and phloem) to carry water and food around their bodies. Most of a liverwort’s life is spent as a gametophyte, the green part of the plant, whose cells carry one set of genetic information. There are about 9,000 species of liverworts. Some, called leafy liverworts, have tiny leaves arranged in two or three rows, while others, called thalloid liverworts, are flat, ribbon-like and have no leaves at all.

History

Liverworts got their name because some kinds have lobes that look a little like a liver. The ending “-wort” is an old English word that simply means “plant.” In the Middle Ages, people followed an idea called the Doctrine of Signatures, which said that a plant that looked like a body part could treat that part. Because of this, liverworts were traditionally used for liver problems, even though there was no good evidence that they worked.

Anatomy

Liverworts come in two main forms: leafy and thalloid. Leafy liverworts have tiny leaf-like structures along their stems and can look a lot like mosses. Thalloid liverworts are flat, green, ribbon-like plants that branch as they grow and can form carpets on damp ground, and some also grow small umbrella-shaped structures used for reproduction. Liverworts are usually small, often only a few millimeters to a few centimeters across. They have no true roots, stems or leaves and never have flowers; instead they are held in place by tiny hair-like threads called rhizoids and reproduce with spores.

Habitat

Liverworts are found all over the world, from the tropics to the Arctic and Antarctica. They grow in damp, shady places such as stream banks, wet rocks, tree trunks, logs and moist soil, and they are especially common in tropical rainforests. Some even grow in garden pots and greenhouses. Together with mosses and hornworts, they belong to a group of simple plants called bryophytes.

Planting

Liverworts do not grow from seeds; they reproduce using spores or by growing new pieces. In sexual reproduction, male organs called antheridia make sperm, which swim through a film of water, often from raindrops, to reach female organs called archegonia. After fertilization, a small sporophyte grows on the parent plant and releases spores, which can grow into new liverworts. Many thalloid liverworts can also reproduce without sperm and eggs, using tiny cups called gemma cups that hold little green buds called gemmae. When raindrops splash into the cups, the gemmae are thrown out and grow into new plants.

Water

The Liverwort plant requires watering regularly. Moisture is essential for the good growth of the plant. Water is necessary in the hot, dry prolonged spells.

Temperature and Humidity

This plant thrives in high humidity and low light. It requires temperatures of 50 to 55 degree F. To grow, most of its species require proper balance of humidity and temperature.

Care

Liverworts need very little care as long as they stay moist and shaded. They do best in low light and high humidity, so keep them out of strong, direct sunlight. In a terrarium, mist them with water regularly so they never dry out completely. They do not need fertilizer.

Harvest

Liverworts are not usually harvested as a crop. Scientists and hobbyists sometimes collect small pieces to study under a microscope or to grow in terrariums. If you collect them, take only a tiny piece and leave the rest to keep growing. Some liverworts are rare and protected, so always check before collecting.

Pests and Disease

Liverworts are considered as pests and weeds.

Uses

In the past, liverworts were traditionally used in folk remedies for the liver, but there is no good evidence that they work, and they should not be used as medicine. Today scientists study liverworts because they are among the oldest land plants and can teach us how plants first moved onto land. Some liverworts contain interesting natural chemicals that researchers are studying. Liverworts also play a small but useful role in nature by covering bare, damp ground and helping it hold moisture.

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