Cute Biology

rhamphotheca:

Gemmae Cups of the Liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha

These cup-shaped structures serve the purpose of asexual propagation on Marchantia polymorpha. They form little discs of plant tissue that can be spread by water, for example, and grow into clones of the mother plant. You can see several of these gemmae having spilled out already and lying on top of the mother plant. 

(text/photo: BlueRidgeKitties)

(via movesigg)