Sphaerocarpos Boehmer, Nova Plant. Genera. 4, pl. 3. 1729.
[Greek, sphaero + carpos, globose fruit, for shape of capsule]
Stephen L. Timme
Plants as short-lived annuals, heterothallic, hyaline green, light green to bright green, sometimes becoming reddish or purplish, 2- to multistratose in the median region, grading to 1-stratose and entire lobes (wings). Antheridial plants generally 0.1--0.3 times smaller than the archegonial. Archgonial plants 2--15 mm in diameter; lobes 1-stratose, not divided or lobed, generally succubous. Cells lacking trigones, quadrate to hexagonal. Sporangia ovoid. Seta very short, not elongating, of 4 cell rows. Spores large, spore wall reticulate or not, faces aerolate; aerole with or without tubercles, cristatae, lamellae, crenulae or spines.
Species 8--10 (6 in flora): terrestrial specialists almost always occupying disturbed or temporary habitats; nearly worldwide, but disjunct, sporatic and localized throughout range; North America, South America, Europe, s Africa, s Australia.
With species of this genus, the capsules mature February through May.
SELECTED REFERENCES
Campbell, D. H. 1940. The Evolution of Land Plants. Stanford, Calif. Crandall-Stotler, B. and R. E. Stotler. 2000. Morphology and classification of the Marchantiophyta. In: Bryophyte Biology, A. Jonathan Shaw and B. Goffinet, eds. Cambridge Univ. Press, New York. Pp. 21-70. Frye, T. C. and L. Clark. 1937. Hepaticae of North America. Univ. Wash. Publ. Biol. 6: 1--162. Haynes, C. C. 1910. Sphaerocarpos hians sp. nov., with a revision of the genus and illustrations of the species. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 37: 215--230. McGregor, R. L. 1955. Taxonomy and ecology of Kansas Hepaticae. Univ. Kans. Sci. Bull. 37: 55--141. Proskauer, J. 1948. The Sphaerocarpales of South Africa. J.. S. Africa Bot. 21: 63--75. Schuster, R. M. 1992. The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America, East of the Hundredth Meridian. Chicago. Schuster, R. M. 1984. Evolution, Phylogeny and Classification of the Hepaticae. In: R. M. Schuster, ed. New Manual of Bryology, Vol. 2, pp. 892--1070. Nichinan, Miyazaki, Japan.
