''Jensenia spinosa'' is a

dioicous Dioicy () is a sexual system where archegonia and antheridia are produced on separate gametophytes. It is one of the two main sexual systems in bryophytes. Both dioicous () and monoicous gametophytes produce gametes in gametangia by mitosis rathe ...

bryophyte plant in the liverwort

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 ...

Pallaviciniaceae Pallaviciniaceae is a widely distributed family of liverworts in the order Pallaviciniales. All species are thallose, typically organized as a thick central costa (midvein), each side with a broad wing of tissue one cell in thickness. All spe ...

. It is the only African member of the genus ''Jensenia'', and generally occurs at high elevations. It is widespread but scarce, and has been found in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

( Volcanoes National Park at 3,650m), the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, as well as the islands of

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

and

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

. ''Jensenia spinosa'' is very similar to its neotropical relative ''J. erythropus'', though geographically isolated. Both may be confused with '' Symphyogyna'' species, but the latter's scale-shaped, rather than cup-shaped involucres have been useful in distinguishing the two genera.

References

Pallaviciniales Plants described in 1847 Flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Flora of Malawi Flora of Mauritius Flora of Réunion Flora of Rwanda Flora of Saint Helena Flora of South Africa Flora of Tanzania Taxa named by Carl Moritz Gottsche {{Bryophyte-stub