Growing Marchantia from gemma spores

Marchantia and their lifecycle

Marchantia (or liverworts) are a genus of plant in the bryophyte taxonomic division along with mosses and hornworts which are thought to be the oldest extant plants on earth. …
Marchantia polymorpha (The ‘Common liverwort’) is used as a model organism in biological studies.

You will need:

• Healthy Marchantia plant with developed gemma cups and gemma
• dH₂O
• Sterile pipette tips of any size
• Sterile tweezers
• MS+B5 agar plates
• Sterile nylon mesh (cut to the shape of petri dish)
• Micropore tape

Protocol

1. In a sterile environment, place a nylon mesh sheet onto your MS+B5 agar plates.
2. Submerge the Marchantia plant in water and agitate gemma cups with a pipette tip so that the gemma float to the surface of the water.
3. Pick up a single gemma spore with the tip of a pipette tip and transfer over to the nylon mesh plate.
4. Close the lid of the plate and seal with micropore tape.