Marchantia-1

Diversity is Low to Moderate.

	There is only one Class
	with 7 Orders.
	However, there are 300 Genera. The Genus to Remember is Marchantia.
	There are 6,000 Species

Marchantia (Top View)
Note the Dichotomous Branching at the tip of each thallus - Dicho means to split in Two.

Distribution: These occur in the Temperate & Tropical zones.

Habitats: They are mostly terrestrial but they generally are found in very wet environments. One Genus is aquatic.Their Size is Small, on the order of several centimeters. However, they may form masses of interconnected & overlapping thalli which occupy larger areas.They have distinctive Oil Bodies. This is a minor point.

They can form dense mats.

Conacephalum Gametophyte