]əˌsē\ noun plural
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Medieval Latin hepaticae, plural of hepatica liverwort
: a class of Bryophyta comprising the liverworts and being distinguished from Musci by the presence of a usually thalloid gametophyte that is not produced from a protonema, unicellular rhizoids and elaters, and antheridia and archegonia that are borne on the thallus and produce a short-lived and simple sporophyte — compare anthocerotales , jungermanniales , marchantiales , sphaerocarpales