| Lunularia | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Marchantiophyta |
| Class: | Marchantiopsida |
| Order: | Marchantiales |
| Family: | Lunulariaceae |
| Genus: | Lunularia |
| Species: | L. cruciata |
| Binomial name | |
| Lunularia cruciata (L.) Dumortier, 1822 |
|
Lunularia cruciata or crescent-cup liverwort is a liverwort of order Marchantiales, and the only species in the genus Lunularia and family Lunulariaceae. The name refers to the moon-shaped cups, from Latin luna, moon.
Lunularia occurs commonly in western Europe, where it is native to the region around the Mediterranean. It is also common in California, where it now grows "wild", and is known as an introduced weed in gardens and greenhouses in Australia.[1] In America, the species grows only as a sterile form, easily recognized by the crescent-shaped cups containing asexual gemmae.
The discus-shaped gemmae are readily dislodged from the cups by splashes of rainwater. They can then quickly "take root" and start to grow in suitably damp places, which is why they are so successful in greenhouses.