A study of brAnching p Atterns in Bazzania (JungermAnniAles, lepidoziAceAe)

Branching patterns in the leafy liverwort genus Bazzania Gray were investigated in twenty-five Australasian species. Terminal branching was found to be neither consistently sinistrorse nor consistently dextrorse, and neither consistently homodromous nor consistently antidromous. Microphyllous ventral-intercalary branches arising from stems usually have 'siblings' arising from main branches. The production of leafy ventral-intercalary branches is not necessarily associated with the termination of stems or main branches. These results are contrary to previous ideas about branching in Bazzania.