Riccia

Scientific name

Riccia L.

Common names

crystalwort, sinking crystalwort

Family

Ricciaceae

Similar genera

Lomariopsis (Süßwassertang), Monosolenium, Ricciocarpus, Riccardia

Native distribution

cosmopolitancosmopolitan:
(adj) essentially worldwide in distribution

Species cultivated

Riccia fluitans L. (slender riccia)

Adventive distribution

information not available

Weed status

information not available

Habit

free-floating and submersedsubmersed:
see submerged
or emersedemersed:
see emergent
on moist soil

Brief description

Liverwort (nonvascular plant). Annual or short-lived perennialperennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
. Thallusthallus:
(n) a photosynthetic plant body that is not (or apparently not) differentiated into stems, roots, and leaves
narrow, dichotomously branching to form a complex mass of intertwining branches, these narrower and longer in submersedsubmersed:
see submerged
plants. Rhizoids minute on undersurface of thallusthallus:
(n) a photosynthetic plant body that is not (or apparently not) differentiated into stems, roots, and leaves
. SporangiaSporangia:
(n) (pl. sporangia) a unicellular or multicellular sac or structure that produces spores
on underside of thallusthallus:
(n) a photosynthetic plant body that is not (or apparently not) differentiated into stems, roots, and leaves
. Spores only produced if thallusthallus:
(n) a photosynthetic plant body that is not (or apparently not) differentiated into stems, roots, and leaves
terrestrialterrestrial:
(adj) growing on land as opposed to living in water
. Dispersal by spores and thallusthallus:
(n) a photosynthetic plant body that is not (or apparently not) differentiated into stems, roots, and leaves
fragments.

Natural habitat

typically found in all still waters among emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
vegetation or on wet soil

Additional comments

Riccia contains 173 species. Riccia fluitans is the Riccia species most commonly grown in aquaria. It sometimes sinks under high light levels, giving rise to the name sinking crystalwort.