Dendroceros

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Dendroceros
Dendroceros sp. Nees growing on the bark of a tree
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Anthocerotophyta Class: Anthocerotopsida Order: Anthocerotales Family: Dendrocerotaceae Genus: Dendroceros
Species
See text.

Dendroceros is a genus of hornworts in the family Dendrocerotaceae of the order Anthocerotales. The genus contains about 51 species native to tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.

[edit] Description

The gametophyte is yellowish-green and usually less than one-half cm wide. The thallus branches in a bifurcating pattern. In the subgenus Apoceros, there are cavities in the central strand of the thallus. The edges of the thallus are only a single layer of cells thick and have an undulating margin. It is common to find symbiotic colonies of blue-green bacteria (usually Nostoc) growing among the cells. Under a microscope, the epidermal cells have trigones.

The sporophyte is erect when mature, growing up to 5 cm tall. Like other hornworts, its surface has stomata. The interior of the sporophyte differentiates into a central column and a surrounding mass of spores and elater cells, with a distinct spiral. The spores are both green and relatively large with an ornamented surface.

[edit] Habitat

Dendroceros grows on humid ground, rocky outcrops, and on the sides of trees. Its name literally means "tree horn".