Bryophyta

Made by Rajanish Sharma 9TH B 9227

Basic Definition of Bryophyta Mosses ,a specific group of leafy bryophytes

,now regarded as division Bryophyta . Bryophytes ,a paraphyletic group of plants formerly regarded as a single division but now split into mosses ,hornworts [anthocerotophyta], and liver worts [marchantiophyta]

Introduction to Bryophyta
Diversity of Mosses has been classified in

approximately 10,000 species,7,000 genera and about 110-120 families. This places the mosses as the third most diverse group of land plants, only after the angiosperms and ferns. Mosses are small plants requiring stereoscopes and compound microscopes for routine examination.

Characteristics of Bryophyta

There is no controversy that the mosses are monophyletic . Synapomorphies for the mosses are : 1) Leaves in the gametophyte ;these green laminar organs are attached densely along the shoot to . 2) Multicultural rhizoids; theses branched filaments composed of a series of multiple cells developed from the surface of gametophyte axis at the point contact with the substrate.

Characteristics [contd.] 3) Columnella; this is a cylinder of sterile cells

located in the center of capsule .[Mishler and Churchill,1984] .Other possible synapomorphies are features of male gamete.

The life cycle of a moss 1)PROTONEMA-Spores germinate and produce a protonema .This is usually filamentous and branched ,but in some groups it is tallose or massive . 2)GAMETOPHORE-An apical cell produces a stem and leaves spirally arranged .The stem produced in several combinations of monopodial and sympodial architectures .

Life cycle (contd.)-1

3) GAMETANGIA-Archegonia and antheridia are produced in groups , with paraphyses among them and surrounded by perichaetial or perigonial leaves . 4)SETA- The sporophyte consist of the foot ,a seta and an apical sporangium .The foot is embedded within the apex of a stem or branch .

Life cycle of a moss [contd.]-2

5)SPORANGIUM- A single sporangium or capsule develops distally from an unbranched sporophyte 6)PERISTOME In the majority of mosses,the apex of the capsule falls of at maturity and reveals a structure called the peristome.This is a ring of narrow triangular segments surrounding the mouth of the capsule.