Frullania nisquallensis
Encyclopedia
Frullania nisquallensis, commonly known as Hanging millipede liverwort, is a reddish-brown species of liverwort
in the Jubulaceae
family. It is found in western Washington and British Columbia
, including Vancouver Island
. The plant grows in mats, sometimes in mats that hang from tree branches (particularly those of alders, or maples), or growing close to the substrate. The leaves are small (1 mm long) and flat, with the lower leaves being slightly smaller than those growing farther up the stem.
compound tenuiron, and the sesquiterpene
s (-)-frullanolide and costunolide, the latter of which has been shown to be damaging to DNA
.
Marchantiophyta
The Marchantiophyta are a division of bryophyte plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like other bryophytes, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of genetic information....
in the Jubulaceae
Jubulaceae
The family Jubulaceae , is a family of liverworts. The family name is derived from the genus Jubula. The family consists of the genera, the Jubula and Frullania. The genera Neohattoria, Schusterella, and Steerea have been merged into Frullania....
family. It is found in western Washington and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, including Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
. The plant grows in mats, sometimes in mats that hang from tree branches (particularly those of alders, or maples), or growing close to the substrate. The leaves are small (1 mm long) and flat, with the lower leaves being slightly smaller than those growing farther up the stem.
Secondary metabolites
This species contains the tridepsideDepside
A depside is a type of polyphenolic compound composed of two or more monocyclic aromatic units linked by an ester bond. Depsides are most often found in lichens, but have also been isolated from higher plants, including species of the Ericaceae, Lamiaceae, Papaveraceae and Myrtaceae. Depsides have...
compound tenuiron, and the sesquiterpene
Sesquiterpene
Sesquiterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of three isoprene units and have the molecular formula C15H24. Like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes may be acyclic or contain rings, including many unique combinations...
s (-)-frullanolide and costunolide, the latter of which has been shown to be damaging to DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
.