common kettlewort
Blasia pusilla L.
Blasia pusilla L., commonly known as common kettlewort, is a liverwort species in the family Blasiaceae. It is found in regions including Québec, Labrador, Flanders, Belgium, and parts of the United States. The species is notable for forming a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria of the genus Nostoc, which reside in specialized cavities called auricles on the underside of its thallus. It was first described in 1753.
Description
Blasia pusilla L. is a member of the liverwort genus Blasia, and the sole species within it. It is distributed across several regions in Europe and North America, including Québec, Labrador, Flanders, and Vermont. The species is characterized by its unique symbiosis with Nostoc cyanobacteria, which are housed in auricles on the ventral surface of the thallus. The species was described by Linnaeus in 1753. Earlier records mistakenly included B. pusilla in the flora of Sri Lanka, but recent studies have confirmed its absence there. This correction was made in response to an erroneous inclusion in a 2014 checklist.
Other common names
common kettlewort
Distribution
Québec · Labrador · TW · Flanders · SE · Vermont-US · NO · DK · Grand Duchy of Luxembourg · Belgium · Flemish Region · Walloon Region
Synonyms
Blasia hookeriBlasia funckiiBlasia germanicaJungermannia bilobaJungermannia blasiaBiagia funckiiBiagia pusillaBlasia immersaBlasia pusilla f. pusillaBlasia semiliberaBlasia pusilla var. pusillaJungermannia blasia var. fructiferaJungermannia blasia var. gemmiferaBlasia pusilla var. ampuliferaBlasia pusilla var. capsuliferaBlasia pusilla f. crispaBlasia pusilla f. fertilisBlasia pusilla f. fructiferaBlasia pusilla f. funckiiBlasia pusilla f. gemmiferaBlasia pusilla f. hookeriBlasia pusilla f. proliferaBlasia pusilla f. sterilisBlasia pusilla var. fertilisBlasia pusilla var. gemmiferaBlasia pusilla var. sterilisBlasia pusilla f. gemmiferaBlasia pusilla f. fertilis
