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Hepaticae

Liverworts are as a rule found only in damp shady places, and it is not their habit to occupy very large areas of ground. With but few exceptions the plant lies close to the object upon which it grows holding to it by short hair-like cells (rhizoids).

Excepting the fruiting portion, the liverwort plant (the vegetative body) is either ribbon-like (thalloid), or a stem with scale-like leaves (foliose); the greater number of liverworts are therefore distinguished as thalloid and foliose.