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Blasia pusilla

Scientific Name: Blasia pusilla

Family: Blasiaceae

Category: Liverwort

Growth: Nonvascular

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Blasia pusilla: Common Kettlewort

Blasia pusilla, also known as Common Kettlewort, is a fascinating liverwort species belonging to the genus Blasia. It is the only species within its genus.

Considerations for Pets

  • This plant is a liverwort, growing close to the ground.
  • It produces gemmae, small star-like clusters for asexual reproduction.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Blasia pusilla L.
  • Common Name: Common Kettlewort
  • Family: Blasiaceae
  • Order: Blasiales
  • Class: Marchantiopsida
  • Synonyms:
    • Blasia semilibera Dumort.
    • Blasia hookeri Corda.

Distribution and Habitat

  • Blasia pusilla is a circumboreal species, indicating a distribution throughout the high-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
  • In the UK, its distribution is documented through records accessible via the NBN Gateway.
  • It can be found along the upper edges of mud flats and on sandbars.
  • Common locations include forest paths and newly exposed soil such as cleared ditch banks.

Morphological Characteristics

  • It is a medium-sized thallose liverwort.
  • The thallus (plant body) is known to form rosettes.
  • It features star-like gemmae for asexual reproduction.
  • The plant is relatively small, with sizes around 3 mm to 5 mm being noted.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Blasia pusilla often hosts colonies of Nostoc, a type of cyanobacteria, which appear as dark spots bordering the thallus midrib.

Further Information

  • Taxonomic information can be found in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) under TSN 15413.
  • Further data is available through the NBN Gateway, Tropicos, and WTROPICOS.
  • Multimedia resources can be found on Wikimedia Commons.
  • Information about its distribution can be found in the ABMI species summary for Blasia pusilla.