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Porella pinnata

Scientific Name: Porella pinnata

Family: Porellaceae

Category: Liverwort

Growth: Nonvascular

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Porella pinnata: Pinnate Scalewort

Porella pinnata, commonly known as Pinnate Scalewort, is a leafy liverwort belonging to the Porellaceae family.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Porella pinnata L.
  • Family: Porellaceae
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Hepatophyta
  • Class: Hepatopsida
  • Order: Jungermanniales
  • Synonym: Porella wataugensis (Sull.) Underw., Madotheca porella (Dicks.) Nees (nom. illeg.)

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to Canada and considered a southern-temperate Oceanic element.
  • Found on inclined surfaces of unshaded granitic boulders in streams, typically 5 cm below to 20 cm above the waterline.
  • Has been found in locations such as Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Worcester Co., Maryland.
  • Historically present in Portugal, but recently considered extinct there, new data suggests recent presence.
  • Observed on a Taxodium distichum (bald cypress) knee in Congaree National Park, South Carolina.
  • Can live in seasonally flooded habitats.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Perennial, leafy liverwort.
  • Nonvascular growth habit.
  • Plants usually medium-sized to large, up to 30 cm long.
  • Leafy shoots are 1-5 mm wide.

Ecological Role

  • Porella pinnata is only submerged when water levels in rivers are high.

Quirky Facts

  • The species epithet "pinnata" is derived from the description "Porella pinnis obtusis" by Dillenius.

Further Information

  • ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System): TSN 15178
  • Discover Life
  • Tropicos (Missouri Botanical Garden)
  • Encyclopedia of Life
  • Alabama Plant Atlas
  • TERMIUM (Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank)
  • ABrA – Atlas de los Brifitos Amenazados de Espaa