What are the 3 major groups of liverworts?

Question

Im pretty sure that 2 groups are the Thallus and Leafy liverworts. But I can not find what the thrid major group is. My professor insists that their are 3 groups and has asked us to find what they are.

Answer 1

Liverworts are Marchantiophyta and Marchantiophyta have two classes, each with two types of liverwort in them, making the answers 2 or 4.

However, in old textbooks, liverworts and mosses are considered the Hepaticae class- which is 3.

I would talk to your professor, and maybe print out this:
http://bryophytes.plant.siu.edu/marchantiophyta.html or get the book it references, "Crandall-Stotler, B. and R. E. Stotler. 2000. Morphology and classification of the Marchantiophyta, pp. 20-70. In J. A. Shaw and B. Goffinet (eds.), The Biology of Bryophytes. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge."

This is an excellent example of when to talk to a prof, btw.

Answer 2

Either you or your Prof. is a little confused.
The plants you are talking about are put in a big division called BRYOPHYTA. All the plants of this group are called 'Bryophytes'.

This Division is further divided in to THREE groups. They are--

1) Hepatacae -- all are called LIVERWORTS

2) Anthocerotae -- All are called HORNWORTS

and

3) Musci -- All are called MOSSES . This is the most highly evolved amongst the three.

Answer 3

There are two groups of liverworts, leafy and thallose; we focus on the thallose type which is just about the most primitive true plant alive today.
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There are three types of epiphyllous liverworts: ,,obligate", ,,facultative, common" and ,,occasional".

http://www.schweizerbart.de/pubs/isbn/bo/novahedwig-3443510434-desc.html