Lophocolea is a genus of liverworts (division Marchantiophyta, class Jungermanniopsida) in the family Lophocoleaceae, order Jungermanniales. With a cosmopolitan distribution, species of Lophocolea are found on every continent, colonising moist terrestrial micro-habitats including soil banks, rocks, rotting wood, and leaf litter, and occasionally growing as epiphytes on bark or in aquatic margins.
Members of the genus share characteristics typical of the Lophocoleaceae: plants are distinctly anisophyllous, meaning the lateral leaves differ markedly in size or shape from the smaller underleaves. Growth is generally prostrate, with shoots lying parallel to the substrate. Most species are dioicous; female plants produce leafy perianths borne terminally on long shoots or on short intercalary branches, while antheridia are held in basal sacs of modified lateral leaves along primary shoots.
The family name Lophocoleaceae derives from the genus name Lophocolea, coined by Dumortier in 1835. Taxonomic placement has been subject to revision: Lophocolea and its family were traditionally placed within the order Jungermanniales, though more recent molecular phylogenetic work has moved Lophocoleaceae to the order Lophoziales in some treatments, while GBIF retains the Jungermanniales placement under the family Geocalycaceae.
Distribution
Lophocolea has a cosmopolitan distribution, with species recorded across all continents. Members colonise moist terrestrial habitats including soil banks, rocks, rotting wood, and bark, and are occasionally found in aquatic or epiphytic settings.
Ecology
Species of Lophocolea are primarily terrestrial, favouring moist micro-habitats such as soil banks, rock surfaces, and decaying wood. Some members grow epiphytically on bark, and a few occur in aquatic margins. Plants grow prostrate and are common in shaded, humid environments such as woodland floors.
Taxonomy Notes
Lophocolea was described by Dumortier (1835) and is the type genus of Lophocoleaceae. The family's ordinal placement is contested: it has historically been assigned to Jungermanniales, but comprehensive molecular analyses have repositioned it within Lophoziales. GBIF currently places Lophocolea in Geocalycaceae under Jungermanniales, while Wikipedia and iNaturalist follow Lophocoleaceae. Class Jungermanniopsida, phylum Marchantiophyta (liverworts) is consistent across sources.
