''Phaeoceros'' is a

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 ...

hornwort Hornworts are a group of non-vascular Embryophytes (land plants) constituting the division Anthocerotophyta (). The common name refers to the elongated horn-like structure, which is the sporophyte. As in mosses and liverworts, hornworts have a ...

s 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 ...

Notothyladaceae The Notothyladaceae is the only 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 fa ...

. The genus is global in its distribution. Its name means 'yellow horn', and refers to the characteristic yellow

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

s that the plants produce in the horn-shaped

sporophyte A sporophyte () is the diploid multicellular stage in the life cycle of a plant or alga which produces asexual spores. This stage alternates with a multicellular haploid gametophyte phase. Life cycle The sporophyte develops from the zygote pr ...

. The genus ''Phaeoceros'' was first recognized in 1951 by

Johannes Max Proskauer Johannes Max Proskauer (December 5, 1923 – December 20, 1970) was born in Göttingen, Germany. He travelled to England via a ''Kindertransport.'' His mother died in 1943 and his father was murdered in Auschwitz. He attended the University o ...

. The type species is '' Phaeoceros laevis''. The genus is distinguished by having yellow spores, different

chloroplast A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant and algal cells. The photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll captures the energy from sunlight, converts it, and stores it in ...

structure, relatively less frilliness of the

thallus Thallus (plural: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. Many of these organisms wer ...

when compared to ''Anthoceros'', and a relative lack of internal cavities in ''Phaeoceros''. The yellow color of the spores is the easiest way to distinguish ''Phaeoceros'' from the common genus ''

Anthoceros ''Anthoceros'' is a genus of hornworts in the family Anthocerotaceae. It is distributed globally. Species of ''Anthoceros'' are characterized by having a small to medium-sized, green thallus that is more or less lobed along the margins. Etymolo ...

'', which produces spores that are dark brown to black. ''Phaeoceros'' is often confused with ''Anthoceros'', and dried plants are particularly difficult to distinguish in, but the two genera can always be recognized, when fertile and mature, by the spores. When sterile, the distinguishing characteristic is the absence of lacunae (gaps within the tissue) within the thallus, which in ''Anthoceros'' are large and numerous.

References

* Proskauer, J. (1951). "Studies on Anthocerotales. III". ''Bull. Torrey Bot. Club'' 78: 331–349.

External links

Description and photos
Hornworts Bryophyte genera {{Bryophyte-stub