Bryophytes Prof. Ms. Vrushali S. Dighe Department Of Botany S. M. Joshi College, Hadapsar, Pune.

Bryophytes Bryo- gr. moss. Liverworts, hornworts, and mosses. Gametophyte dominant. Sporophyte matrotrophic and short lived (6-16 weeks). Water required for fertilization. Sexual reproduction involves antheridia and archegonia. Biflagellated sperm. Asexual reproduction by fragmentation and gemmae. Plasmodesmata present. Rhizoids in most. Protonemata in most (not the hornworts). Stomata or stomata-like structures present. ~16,000 species.

True or false. Liverworts because they are shaped like a liver and look glandular were used to treat liver disease in earlier times. The specimen marked ‘A’ is a leafy liverwort and the one marked ‘B’ a thalloid liverwort. A B

Marchantiophyta- liverworts Hepato- gr. liver. Sporophytes without stomata, but have pores. Specialized conducting tissue absent. Gametophytes thalloid or leafy. Rhizoids single celled. Simplest of all living plants. Sporangium with dehiscent capsule, elaters present in some to disperse spores. Most cells contain numerous chloroplasts. Habitat- moist, some aquatic, temperate and tropical. 6,000 species. Examples- Marchantia and Riccia.

Marchantia Antheridia

Marchantia Archegonia

True or false. Shown below are male gametophytes.

Anthocerotophyta- hornworts Antho- gr. flower, keras- gr. horn. Sporophytes with stomata. Specialized conducting tissue absent. Gametophytes thalloid. Rhizoids single celled. Sporangia dehisce to disperse spores, elater-like structures present. Most cells contain a single chloroplast. Sporophyte with basal intercalary meristem. Habitat- moist temperate and tropical. 100 species. Example- Anthoceros

Hornwort sporophytes ___________________. A) are nutrionally dependent on the female gametophyte B) are primarily terrestrial C) lack stomata D) contain a sporangium E) all of the above True or false. Anthoceros is an example of a true moss (Phylum Bryophyta). Hornwort gametophytes are thalloid.

Bryophyta- mosses Sporophytes with stomata. Specialized conducting tissue- leptoids and nonlignified hydroids. Gametophytes leafy. Rhizoids multicellular. Sporangia with dehiscent capsules. Most cells with numerous chloroplasts. Habitat- moist and dry, temperate and tropical, some aquatic. 9,500 species. Example- Polytrichum, Sphagnum, Mnium.

“Cushiony” “Feathery”

Three Moss Classes Bryidae- true mosses, Polytrichum. Protonema with a single row of cells with slanted cross walls. Leafy gametophytes develop from minute budlike structures. Sphagnidae- peat mosses, Sphagnum. Protonema with plate of cells that is one layer thick. Gametophytes with clusters of branches, 5 per node. Explosive capsular operculum. Adreaeidae- granite mosses, Andreaea. Protonema with 2 or more rows of cells. Capsule dehisces by splitting in four. Rhizoids occur in 2 rows. Mountainous or arctic regions on rocks.