FAQ’s – Riccia and Marchantia

1. Are Riccia and Marchantia liverworts?

Riccia and Marchantia, both liverworts in the division Marchantiophyta, differ at the familial level: Riccia is in Ricciaceae, and Marchantia is in Marchantiaceae. This distinction signals the start of their unique traits, showcasing the diverse nature within liverworts.

2. Why Riccia is called liverworts?

Riccia is a member of the class Hepaticae, commonly known as Liverworts. These plants exhibit a dorsiventrally flattened, lobed structure with unicellular rhizoids.

3. What is the Difference between Marchantia and liverworts?

Some liverworts resemble mosses, with a stem axis and leaf-like appendages. Marchantia, however, represents a subset known for a ‘complex thalloid’ structure—a flattened body (thallus) that spreads across the ground, displaying differentiation.

4. What is the Difference between the gametophyte of Riccia and Marchantia?

Marchantia exhibits a dorsiventral, prostrate flat structure characterized by a prominent midrib and dichotomous branching. In contrast, Riccia is rosette-like, displaying a dorsiventral flat, green thallus with dichotomous branching.

5. What is Gemma Cup?

Gemmae cups are structures resembling cups that house gemmae tiny, haploid tissue discs capable of directly developing into new gametophytes.

Riccia and Marchantia are non-vascular plants that belong to the genre liverwort and division Marchantiophyta. These plants belong to the phylum Bryophyta and are exceedingly small plants that live under wet conditions. Riccia and Marchantia reproduce via an asexual mode of reproduction including spores. In their life cycle, they dominate and come after the gametophyte stage. Mosses and liverworts are two typical examples.

In this article, we will learn about the differences between Riccia and Marchantia and some similarities between Riccia and Marchantia as they belong to the same genre.