Kingdom Plantae Scientific name Sphaerocarpaceae Rank Family | Division Marchantiophyta Higher classification Sphaerocarpales Order Sphaerocarpales | |
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Similar Sphaerocarpos, Sphaerocarpos texanus, Corsiniaceae, Blasiaceae, Pelliaceae | ||
Sphaerocarpaceae is a family of liverworts known as bottle liverworts. Approximately ten species are included in this family, most of them in the genus Sphaerocarpos, but one additional species in the genus Geothallus.
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How to pronounce sphaerocarpaceae
Distribution
The majority of species in the family occur along the western edge of the Americas, from Washington to central Chile. However, the type species for Sphaerocarpos, S. michelii, is native to Europe. The weedy species Sphaerocarpos texanus is distributed widely in fields and gardens of North America, western Europe, and Mediterranean Africa. It may have been introduced with soil brought with crops or garden plants imported from the Americas.
Classification
The group was recognized as a tribe by Dumortier in 1874 and elevated to family rank in 1891 by Heeg, under the name "Sphaerocarpeae". Two genera are recognized, with a single species in Geothallus and the remaining species assigned to Sphaerocarpos