liverwort

Noun

liverwort (countable and uncountable, plural liverworts)

1. A type of bryophyte with a leafy stem or leafless thallus characterized by a dominant gametophyte stage and a lack of stomata on the sporophyte stage of the life cycle.
   • The liverworts are either thallose, without any differentiation into stem and leaves, or leafy.1929, Shiv Ram Kashyap, Liverworts of the Western Himalayas and the Panjab Plain, volume I, page 1
   • Since the thallus of some liverworts resembled a liver, such plants were considered useful in making a concoction that would aid in curing liver ailments. Hence the name "liver-plant," or liverwort. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that liverworts possess curative properties.1985, W. B. Schofield, Introduction to Bryology, page 135

   Synonyms:

   hepatic

2. A common flowering perennial herb of northern woodlands, Hepatica nobilis (syn. Anemone hepatica), used in traditional European herbal medicine.
   • Near-synonym: liverweed

   Synonyms:

   liverleaf, kidneywort, pennywort, liverweed