Plagiochila

Plagiochila deltoidea, from here.

Belongs within: Jungermanniales.

Plagiochila is a cosmopolitan genus of leafy liverworts; with over 1200 species, it is the largest of the recognised liverwort genera. Members of the genus are very diverse in superficial appearance, including both trailing epiphytic species and forms with reduced leaves.

Characters (from Hong 1992): Dioicous gametangia; gemmae absent; creeping rhizomatous stems; branching of lateral-intercalary and Frullania types; rhizoid generally absent; succubous, obliquely inserted, long decurrent leaves; vestigial underleaves; strongly laterally compressed perianths; perigynium absent; oval-globose capsules (four-valved at base); bispiral elaters.

<==Plagiochila
    |--P. acanthoda J87
    |--P. adiantoides J87
    |--P. ambusta E03
    |--P. angulata E03
    |--P. angusticedens J87
    |--P. angustispina J87
    |--P. annotina M49
    |--P. ansata Hooker & Taylor 1847 [=Jungermannia ansata Hooker & Taylor 1844] E03
    |--P. arbuscula M49
    |--P. barbadensis J87
    |--P. bidens J87
    |--P. bifaria J87
    |--P. bispinosa Lindenb. 1858 E03
    |--P. boissieri J87
    |--P. bursata J87
    |--P. circinalis E03
    |--P. conjugata M49
    |--P. corticola G06
    |--P. crispata J87
    |--P. cristata J87
    |--P. cuspidata G06
    |--P. debilis G06
    |--P. deltoidea M49
    |--P. denticulata G06
    |--P. devexa G06
    |--P. druelii G06
    |--P. dura E03
    |--P. duricaulis Hooker & Taylor 1847 [=Jungermannia duricaulis Hooker & Taylor 1844] E03
    |--P. elata D03
    |--P. elegans G06
    |--P. fagicola E03
    |--P. fasciculata M49
    |--P. flexicaulis D03
    |--P. flexuosa G06
    |--P. fruticosa G06
    |--P. fuegiensis E03
    |--P. gayana D03
    |--P. gigantea M49
    |--P. gracilis G06
    |--P. gregaria M49
    |--P. heteromalla E03
    |--P. hirta E03
    |--P. hyadesiana E03
    |--P. hypnoides J87
    |--P. jacquinotii E03
    |--P. jamesonii J87
    |--P. kroneana J87
    |--P. latifrons D03
    |--P. lechleri E03
    |--P. longissima D03
    |--P. lyallii M49
    |--P. macvicarii J87
    |--P. mundaliensis G06
    |--P. neesiana E03
    |--P. nepalensis G06
    |--P. obcuneata E03
    |--P. patagonica E03
    |--P. perrottetiana J87
    |--P. pleurota M49
    |--P. pseudorenitens G06
    |--P. ramosissima M49
    |--P. rectangulata E03
    |--P. remotidens E03
    |--P. retrospectans SF01
    |--P. robusta E03
    |--P. rufescens D03
    |--P. savatierana E03
    |--P. sciophila G06
    |--P. secretifolia G06
    |--P. semidecurrens G06
    |--P. sinclairii M49
    |--P. solitaria J87
    |--P. stephensoniana SF01
    |--P. subpectinata E03
    |--P. subsimilis C82
    |--P. subtropical G06
    |--P. superba J87
    |--P. tenuis J87
    |--P. tristis D03
    `--P. uncialis E03

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[C82] Colenso, W. 1882. On some newly-discovered New Zealand arachnids. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 15: 165-173.

[D03] Dusén, P. 1903. The vegetation of western Patagonia. In Reports of the Princeton University Expeditions to Patagonia, 1896-1899, vol. 8 – Botany (W. B. Scott, ed.) pp. 1-34. The University: Princeton (New Jersey).

[E03] Evans, A. W. 1903. Hepaticae collected in southern Patagonia. In Reports of the Princeton University Expeditions to Patagonia, 1896-1899, vol. 8 – Botany (W. B. Scott, ed.) pp. 35-62. The University: Princeton (New Jersey).

[G06] Ghosh, J. P. 2006. A preliminary check-list of hepatics of West Bengal. Bulletin of the Botanical Survey of India 48 (1-4): 73-102.

Hong, W. S. 1992. Plagiochila in western North America. Bryologist 95 (2): 142-147.

[J87] Judd, W. S. 1987. Floristic study of Morne La Visite and Pic Macaya National Parks, Haiti. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum – Biological Sciences 32 (1): 1-136.

[M49] Martin, W. 1949. The bryophytes of Stewart Island.—Part I. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 77 (2): 257-277.

[SF01] Stech, M., & W. Frey. 2001. CpDNA-relationship and classification of the liverworts (Hepaticophytina, Bryophyta). Nova Hedwigia 72 (1-2): 45-58.