LUNULARIA -features, morphology, anatomy ,reproduction etc.

Lunularia

1. L UNU L ARIA

2. SYSTEMATIC POSITON CLASS : Hepaticopsida ORDER: Marchantiales FAMILY: Lunulariaceae GENUS : Lunularia

3. FAMILY LUNULARIACEAE General Characteristics Presence of crescent shaped gemma cups on dorsal surface of thallus. Gemmae are Discoid Air chambers are in single layer with simple or branched Photosynthetic filaments. Air pores on the thallus are simple/ half barrel- shaped.

4. Antheridial receptacles are disciform, sessile and lack pores. Archegonial receptacles are stalked with a deeply four lobed disc .

5. L UNU L ARIA HABIT AND DISTRIBUTION Prefer moist, shady and cold places of rocky soils. genus is represented by a single sps. Lunularia crusiata In India, it is found in Drajeeling , Simla, Kodaikanal and Madras

6. MORPHOLOGY Plant body – Gametophyte & thalloid Thallus – Prostrate, dorsiventrally flat, irregularly dichotomously branched and forms apical innovations . margin of thallus – undulate (having a wavy edge) and apex is notched . Dorsal surface is provided with simple air pores and semilunar gemmae- cups.

7. Ventral surface – smooth walled and tuberculate rhizoids Ventral rotundate appendiculate scales are present in two longitudinal rows.

8. INTERNAL STRUCTURE In T.S., the thallus shows the following layers: Upper epidermal layer with pores. Pores are raised and bounded by 3 rings of 6 – 8 cells each. Dorsal cortical chambers containing short, branched filamentous chlorophyllose cells . Parenchymatous cortical zone. Ventral epidermal layer with scales in one row on each side of midrib. Scales are thin delicate and attached by a long semilunar base. Rhizoids unicellular and smooth- walled and tuberculate.

9. REPRODUCTION VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION 1.FRAGMENTATION The older portion of the thallus starts disintegrating due to ageing or drought. When this process of disintegration or decay reaches up to the place of dichotomy, the lobes of the thallus get separated. These detached lobes or fragments develop into independent plants by apical growth. This is the most common method of vegetative reproduction.

10. 2.GEMMAE FORMATION Discoid green gemmae are produced inside crescent shaped gemma cups , whose margins are entire Detached gemmae will come out from the gemma cup and are dispersed on soil, by wind or by water. Each gemmae soon germinates and forms a new gametophytic thallus

11. SEXUAL REPRODUCTION DIOECIOUS / HETROTHALLIC PLANT BODY ANTHERIDIA Antheridia are produced on disciform, sessile antheridial receptacle . Antheridial receptacle – present at apices of short branch of main thallus Each anthridium is found enclosed with in a chamber – Antheridial chamber Antheridial chamber opens out side through an opening - Ostiole

12. ARCHEGONIA Produced on a stalked female receptacle with deeply four lobed disc – Archegoniophore Stalk has short hairs without rhizoidal furrow and photosynthetic tissue. Each disc has a row of archegonia which are acropetally arranged.

13. Archegonia are covered and protected by tubular involucre – have wide mouth which helps in fertilization. disc has no pores and photosynthetic tissues – characteristic feature or this family

14. SPOROPHYTE Has small foot, seta and globose capsule . Found attached to the arms of the disc of archegoniophore Pseudoperianth / Perigynium – absent Apical portion of capsule has - Operculum or Lid – which dehisces to release spores Cells of capsule wall – lack any type of thickenings Spores and Free Elaters are found with capsule

15. SPORE Yellowish green / Yellowish brown, 14- 20µm diameter exine – smooth surface spores when come in contact with rocky soil , under favouranle conditions, germinate and forms new gametophytic plant body.

16. IDENTIFICATION FEATURES Thallus dorsiventrally flattened and prostrate, sporophyte simple and with limited growth, columella absent CLASS: HEPATICOPSIDA Plant body prostrate, sex organs on dorsal surface, sporophyte devoid of columella or elaterophores ORDER: MARCHANTIALES Antheridia and archegonia localised as specialised clusters, sporophyte diffe rentiated into foot, seta and capsule FAMILY: MARCHANTIACEAE/ LUNULARIACEAE Plants with air chambers and pores on the dorsal surface, capsule in involucre, plant with gemmae cups on its dorsal surface. Gemmae cups semi- lunate in shape GENUS: LUNULARIA

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