1. Bryophytes 1

2. Bryophytes Ubiquitous Important colonizers with lichens
Moist temperate and tropical locations
Dominate Arctic Tundra
Antarctica
Above the treeline
Dry deserts
Some aquatic
Important colonizers with lichens
Sensitive to air pollution

3. Hypnum sp. - Moss on fallen log. GSMNP
Nowellia
LEAFY LIVERWORT
Lichen
Photo by Alan Heilman
Hypnum sp. - Moss on fallen log. GSMNP

4. Bartramia pomiformi (apple moss) + Peltigera, a lichen.
Photo by Alan Heilman

5. Features shared with Charophytes
Coleochaete -Unicellular
flagellated green algae
Chara -Filamentous
green algae
Other Plants
Hornworts
Liverworts
Mosses
Features shared with Charophytes
Multicellular specialization (tissues)
Cell walls made of cellulose
Pigments:
a. Chlorophyll a
b. Chlorophyll b
Primary storage substance: starch
Oogamous -- Male gamete is motile & asymmetrical
Breakdown of nuclear membrane
Zygotes retained
Other algae

6. Ability to distinguish D-methionine from L-methionine
Coleochaete -Unicellular
flagellated green algae
Chara -Filamentous
green algae
Other Plants
Hornworts
Liverworts
Mosses
Xylem and phloem
Outer layer on spores
Stomata
Ability to distinguish D-methionine from L-methionine
Zygote retained by gametophyte
Flavenoids

7. Bryophytes Transitional between Charophytes and Vascular Plants
Synapomorphies for land plants
Antheridia and archegonia with protective layer
Retention of zygote & multicellular embryo
Presence of multicellular diploid sporophyte
Multicellular sporangia
Meiospores with sporopollenin
Apical meristem

8. Bryophytes “Autapomorphies” Lack of xylem and phloem No lignin
Gametophyte generation dominant; free-living
Sporophyte nutritionally dependant
Sporophyte unbranched with single sporangium

10. Ubc.edu

11. Bryophyte Structure Thalloid -- Hornworts & (some) liverworts
Differentiated -- Mosses & (some) liverworts
Not true leaves/stems
Gametophyte generation
No xylem & phloem
Rhizoids
Mosses – multicellular
Liverworts & hornworts – unicellular
Only anchor plant
Plasmodesmata

12. Bryophyte Structure Hornworts – single plastid
Sperm only flagged cell – water required
Gemmae cups
Gametophytes often
sexed
Sex chromosomes 1st
in bryophytes!
Photo by Alan Heilman

13. Reproductive Structures
Antheridium
Each cell  single sperm

14. Reproductive Structures
Archegonia
Single egg
Zygote persistent
Matrotrophy
Enlarged venter  calyptra

15. Nearly Mature Sporophyte

16. Embryophytes
Matrotrophy + placenta  multicellular sporophyte (produced by ……
More divisions between fertilization and meiosis
Larger sporophyte
More spores
Sporophytes of hornworts & mosses  stomata
Sporopollenin – survival value
Spore generates  protonema

17. THE PHYLA OF BRYOPHYTES
The three phyla are:
Bryophyta – Mosses
ca. 10,000+ sp.
Hepatophyta – Liverworts
ca 6000 sp.
Leafy liverworts
Thallose liverworts
Anthophyta – Hornworts
ca 100 sp.

18. Liverworts: Phylum Hepatophyta
Ca species
Mostly terrestrial
Some have protonema-like structure
Apical meristem
3 major groups
Complex thalloid liverworts
Simple thalloid liverworts
Leafy liverworts

19. Complex Thalloid Liverworts
Marchantia, Riccia, Ricciocarpus
Terrestrial
Thallus cells thick
Upper layer -- air pores
Middle layer -- chloroplast rich
Lower layer – carbohydrate storage & rhizoids

21. Riccia sporophytes
Little more than a sporangium

22. Marchantia sporophytes
Gametangia -- stalked specialized structures
Sporophyte – foot, seta, and capsule

23. Conocephalum conicum - thallus + archegoniophore, with dev. sporophyte
archegoniophore (part of gametophyte, not a sporophyte)
Photo by Alan Heilman

24. Marchantia Mature capsule contains elaters (green strands)
Aid in spore dispersal

25. Asexual Reproduction
Fragmentation
Gemmae – splash cups

26. Marchantia Life Cycle

27. Marchantia polymorpha - antheridiophores male
Photo by Alan Heilman
Marchantia polymorpha - antheridiophores male

28. Marchantia polymorpha - archegoniophores female
Photo by Alan Heilman

29. Ricciocarpus natans - floating aquatic liverwort
Photo by Alan Heilman
Ricciocarpus natans - floating aquatic liverwort

30. Riccia fluitans - floating aquatic liverwort
Photo by Alan Heilman
Riccia fluitans - floating aquatic liverwort

31. Conocephalum conicum - detail of upper surface of thallus with pore
Photo by Alan Heilman
Conocephalum conicum - detail of upper surface of thallus with pore

32. Leafy Liverworts Very diverse More tropical Diagnostic …
> 4000 of the 6000 species
More tropical
Diagnostic …
Moss leaves
Spiral
Midrib
Entire
Liverwort leaves
Distichous
Highly dissected

33. Photo By Paul Davison
Frullania

34. Photo By Paul Davison
Cephalozia

35. Moss and Liverwort Leaves
Leafy Liverwort
Margin teeth
Mid Vein
Moss and Liverwort Leaves

36. Sporophyte of leafy liverwort
Capsule
Seta
Photo by Alan Heilman

37. Hornworts: Phylum Anthocerophyta
ca 100 species
Gametophytes similar to liverworts
Large single chloroplast
Phylogenetically most closely related to vascular plants
Nostoc is symbiont -- N

38. Gametophytes Rosette-like Unisexual and bisexual Clustered antheridia
Single gametophyte – many sporophytes
wikipedia

39. Sporophytes

40. Sporophytes

41. Life cycle
wikipedia

42. Anthoceros laevis - hornwort, habitat view

43. Photo by Ken McFarland
Phaeoceros sp.

44. Mosses: Phylum Bryophyta
Things that are NOT mosses ….
Reindeer moss – lichen
Scale moss – leafy liverworts
Club moss – Lycopodium (Fern ally)
Spanish moss – bromeliad (like pineapple …..)
Spike moss – Selaginella (Fern ally)
Sea moss (or Irish moss) – red alga (Carrageenan!)

45. Mosses: Phylum Bryophyta
3 groups discussed in text
Sphagnidae – peat mosses
Andreaeidae – granite mosses
Bryidae – true mosses

46. Peat Mosses – Sphagnidae
Sphagnum
Earliest diverging moss
Unusual
Protonema a “plate” w/ marginal meristem
Distinctive leaf morphology
Distinctive sporophytes
Gametophytes -- clusters of branches
Diapers and wound dressings
20x dry weight in water (cotton only 4-6x)

47. Sphagnum Unique leaf morphology
Antheridia and archegonia at tips of specialized branches
Unique sporophyte morphology

48. Granite Mosses -- Andreaeidae
Mountainous or Arctic regions
Protonema & rhizoids – 2 rows of cells
Unusual sporangial dehiscence

49. True Mosses -- Bryidae Filamentous protonema Multicellular rhizoids
Leaves one cell thick
Specialized tissues

50. Hadrom & Leptom Found in seta Water conducting tissue – hydroids
Similar to tracheids no protoplast but no lignin
Food conducting tissue – leptoids
Similar to sieve tubes

51. Sexual Reproduction Male and female gametangia
Branch tips
Lateral branches
Unisexual & bisexual
Antheridia in splash cups
Capsules – 6-18 months to mature!
Maternally nourished sporophyte
Specialized spore dispersal

53. Sexual Reproduction

54. Mnium
Archegonia and Antheridia
paraphyses

55. Antheridial Splash Cups

56. Peristome Teeth Control release of ~ 50 million spores
Characteristic of Bryidae
Taxonomically important

57. Eurhynchium serrulatum
peristome teeth
operculum
calyptra
Photo by Alan Heilman
Eurhynchium serrulatum

58. Dicranella varia
Dehiscing operculum
Photo by Alan Heilman

59. Peristome teeth of Dicranum flagellaria
Photo by Alan Heilman

60. Dicranella varia spores
Photo by Alan Heilman

61. Grimmia gracilis peristome teeth open
Photo by Alan Heilman