SafePlants

Athalamia

Athalamia is a genus of liverworts belonging to the family Cleveaceae.

Scientific Name and Common Names

• Scientific Name: Athalamia Falconer
• Accepted Species: Athalamia hyalina (Sommerf.) S. Hatt
• Other Scientific Names: Clevea hyalina (Somm.) Lindb.
• Common Names: Hyaline Liverwort, Transparent Navelwort (for Athalamia hyalina), Peikonsammal (Finnish, for Athalamia hyalina)

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Family: Cleveaceae
• The Plant List includes 11 scientific plant names of species rank for the genus Athalamia, with 8 being accepted species names.
• Synonyms: Some sources suggest that the genus *Clevea* is closely related and may be used in a more narrowly defined sense than *Athalamia*.

Distribution and Habitat

• Athalamia hyalina has been reported in the British Isles (eastern Scottish Highlands).
• Wider distribution includes: Afghanistan, Alaska, Austria, Balearic Islands, Balkan Peninsula, Baltic States, Beringian Arctic, Bulgaria, Canada, Caucasus, Central Asia, and mainland China.

Morphological Characteristics

• Athalamia hyalina is described as a small- to medium-sized liverwort, with thalli up to about 6 mm wide.
• It is characterized by its delicate, fleshy appearance.

Quirky Facts

• Mature spores of Athalamia hyalina have been examined using scanning and transmission electron microscopes and are described as single and hollow.
• The entry "athalamia" on one online dictionary curiously mentions that the word contains 9 letters, 5 vowels and 4 consonants and that its reverse spelling is "aimalahtA."

Further Information

• The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has observations related to the genus Athalamia.
• TERMIUM is the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank and may contain relevant information.