Riccardia

Scientific name

Riccardia Gray

Common names

mini pellia, coral pellia

Family

Aneuraceae

Similar genera

Lomariopsis (Süßwassertang), Monosolenium, Riccia

Native distribution

cosmopolitancosmopolitan:
(adj) essentially worldwide in distribution

Species cultivated

(two species plus cultivated hybrids and varieties)

Riccardia chamedryfolia (With.) Grolle

R. graeffei (Stephani) Hewson

Adventive distribution

information not available

Weed status

information not available

Habit

attached thalloidthalloid:
(adj) (1) having a plant body not differentiated into roots, stems, and leaves (a thallus); (2) thallus-like
liverwort

Brief description

Extremely variable liverwort. The gametophytegametophyte:
(n) the gamete-producing haploid phase in the plant life cycle; in some lower vascular plants it is multicellular and independent
is a prostrateprostrate:
(adj) growing closely along the ground
to ascending, light green thallusthallus:
(n) a photosynthetic plant body that is not (or apparently not) differentiated into stems, roots, and leaves
. Rhizoids usually present on ventralventral:
(adj) of the front of an organ or the side facing or nearest the axis (syn. adaxial) (compare dorsal); upper surface
surface. Thallusthallus:
(n) a photosynthetic plant body that is not (or apparently not) differentiated into stems, roots, and leaves
pinnately branched into narrowly strap-shaped segments; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
rounded to deeply dissecteddissected:
(adj) (of leaves) +/- deeply divided, cut, or lobed, including being compound
; margins often winged. Spore-producing generation (sporophyte) emersedemersed:
see emergent
. Gemmae are often present on emersedemersed:
see emergent
plants.

Natural habitat

damp to wet rock, soil, or wood; in rocky streams

Additional comments

Cultivated species of this liverwort are often offered incorrectly as aquarium plants under the common names “mini pellia” or “coral pellia”.