Difference Between Riccia and Marchantia

Key Difference – Riccia vs Marchantia
 

Riccia and Marchantia are two plant genera of family Marchantiaceae. The key difference between Riccia and Marchantia is Riccia genus is featured by dichotomously branched rosette-like thallus while Marchantia genus is featured by barrel-shaped air pores and gemmae cups.

Bryophytes are small, non-vascular plants of Kingdom Plantae that live in moist habitats. Bryophytes do not produce flowers or seeds instead they reproduce via spores and other methods. Their life cycle is dominated by gametophytic generation. Bryophytes include several groups such as mosses, liverworts and hornworts. Liverworts are thallose or leafy, liver-like small plants. There are different genera that belong to liverworts (family Marchantiaceae). Among them, Riccia and Marchantia are two genera.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Riccia
3. What is Marchantia
4. Similarities Between Riccia and Marchantia
5. Side by Side Comparison – Riccia vs Marchantia in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Riccia?

Riccia is a genus of liverworts in the order Marchantiales and in the family Marchantiaceae. Genus Riccia includes small prostrate and thallose plants that are rosette-like or dichotomously branched. Riccia thalli are not differentiated into root, stem and leaf. All are nonvascular plants commonly seen in moist habitats.

Riccia plants are monoecious hence bear both male and female parts on the same gametophyte. They reproduce sexually and asexually. Asexual reproduction is done by spores, by fragmentation of rosettes or by the formation of apical tubers.

What is Marchantia?

Genus Marchantia is a liverwort group of Kingdom Plantae. Marchantia belongs to the family Marchantiaceae of the order Marchantiales. Marchantia genus is distinguished from other genera by having gemmae cups that are tiny cup-like structures used for asexual reproduction. And also Marchantia possesses barrel-shaped air pores on the upper surface.

Marchantia has a ribbon-like a plant shape. The thallus is dichotomously branched and prostrate. Marchantia lives mostly in moist and shady places. Similar to genus Riccia, Marchantia also can reproduce sexually and asexually.

What are the Similarities Between Riccia and Marchantia?

• Both Riccia and Marchantia are two types of bryophytes coming under Kingdom Plantae.
• Both Riccia and Marchantia are liverworts.
• Both Riccia and Marchantia are ‘liver like’ small plants.
• Both Riccia and Marchantia are thallose
• Both Riccia and Marchantia are flowerless, spore-producing plants.
• Both Riccia and Marchantia are non-vascular land plants.
• Both Riccia and Marchantia belong to order Marchantiales.
• Both Riccia and Marchantia are two genera of family Marchantiaceae.
• Both Riccia and Marchantia have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle.
• Both Riccia and Marchantia reproduce sexually as well as asexually.
• The distinct median groove is present in both Riccia and Marchantia.
• Both Riccia and Marchantia are prostrate and dichotomously branched thalli.

What is the Difference Between Riccia and Marchantia?

Summary – Riccia vs Marchantia

Riccia and Marchantia are tow genera of liverworts. Riccia appears as rosette-like thallus that is dichotomously branched. Genus Marchantia is featured by having barrel shapes pores and tiny cup-like structures called gemmae cups. Both genera are preferred to live in moist and shady places. This is the difference between Riccia and Marchantia.

Reference:

1.“Quick Notes on Marchantia (With Diagrams) | Biology.” Biology Discussion, 4 Feb. 2016. Available here  
2.“What Is a Liverwort? – Bryophyte.” What Is a Liverwort ? – Bryophyte. Available here 

Image Courtesy:

1.’Riccia glauca 050910’By BerndH – Own work, (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia  
2.’MarchantiaPolymorpha’ (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia