''Pleurozia'' is the only

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

liverworts The Marchantiophyta () are a division of non-vascular land plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of ge ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the

Jungermanniales Jungermanniales is the largest order of liverworts. They are distinctive among the liverworts for having thin leaf-like flaps on either side of the stem. Most other liverworts are thalloid, with no leaves. Due to their dorsiventral organization a ...

. The genus includes twelve species, and as a whole is both physically distinctive and widely distributed. The lower leaf lobes of ''Pleurozia'' species are fused, forming a closed water sac covered by a movable lid similar in structure to those of the

angiosperm Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

genus ''

Utricularia ''Utricularia'', commonly and collectively called the bladderworts, is a genus of carnivorous plants consisting of approximately 233 species (precise counts differ based on classification opinions; a 2001 publication lists 215 species).Salmon, Br ...

''. These sacs were assumed to play a role in water storage, but a 2005 study on '' Pleurozia purpurea'' found that the sacs attract and trap

ciliate The ciliates are a group of alveolates characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to flagellum, eukaryotic flagella, but are in general shorter and present in much larger numbers, with a ...

s, much in the same way as ''Utricularia''. Observations of plants ''in situ'' also revealed a large number of trapped prey within the sacs, suggesting that the species in this genus obtain some benefit from a

carnivorous A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other sof ...

habit. After '' Colura'', this was the second report of zoophagy among the liverworts.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Pleurozia'' has been subdivided into three subenera: *''Pleurozia'' subg. ''Pleurozia'' **''

Pleurozia gigantea ''Pleurozia'' is the only genus of liverworts in the family Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the Jungermanniales. The genus includes twelve species ...

'' (Weber) Lindberg *''Pleurozia'' subg. ''Constantifolia'' Thiers **'' Pleurozia purpurea'' Lindberg **'' Pleurozia conchifolia'' (Hooker & Arnott) Austin *''Pleurozia'' subg. ''Diversifolia'' Thiers **''

Pleurozia acinosa ''Pleurozia'' is the only genus of liverworts in the family Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the Jungermanniales. The genus includes twelve species ...

'' (Mitten) Trevisan **''

Pleurozia articulata ''Pleurozia'' is the only genus of liverworts in the family Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the Jungermanniales. The genus includes twelve species ...

'' (Lindberg) Lindberg & Lackström **''

Pleurozia caledonica ''Pleurozia'' is the only genus of liverworts in the family Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the Jungermanniales. The genus includes twelve species ...

'' (Gottsche ex Jack) Stephani **''

Pleurozia curiosa ''Pleurozia'' is the only genus of liverworts in the family Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the Jungermanniales. The genus includes twelve species ...

'' Thiers **''

Pleurozia heterophylla ''Pleurozia'' is the only genus of liverworts in the family Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the Jungermanniales. The genus includes twelve species ...

'' Stephani ex Fulford **''

Pleurozia johannis-winkleri ''Pleurozia'' is the only genus of liverworts in the family Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the Jungermanniales. The genus includes twelve species ...

'' Herzog **''

Pleurozia paradoxa ''Pleurozia'' is the only genus of liverworts in the family Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the Jungermanniales. The genus includes twelve species ...

'' (Jack) Schiffner **''

Pleurozia subinflata ''Pleurozia'' is the only genus of liverworts in the family Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the Jungermanniales. The genus includes twelve species ...

'' (Austin) Austin *Unplaced **''

Pleurozia pocsii ''Pleurozia'' is the only genus of liverworts in the family Pleuroziaceae, which is now classified in its own order Pleuroziales, but was previously included in a broader circumscription of the Jungermanniales. The genus includes twelve species ...

'' Müller

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q1351442, from2=Q17276784, from3=Q17276792 Pleuroziales Liverwort genera