Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.

Interactive Textbook 261 Introduction to Plants

5ECIION
2
Seed|ess P|aots
Introduction to Plants
Namo Class Dato
After you read this section, you shouId be abIe to answer
these questions:

What aro tho difforoncos botwoon soodloss vascular

plants and nonvascular plants?

How can plants roproduco without soods?

What Are 5eedIess PIants!
Whon you think of plants, you probably think of plants
that mako soods, such as flowors and troos. Howovor,
thoro aro many plants that don't mako soods.
Romombor that plants aro dividod into two main
groups: nonvascular plants and vascular plants. All non-
vascular plants aro soodloss, and somo vascular plants
aro soodloss, as woll.
What Are the Features of NonvascuIar PIants!
Mossos, livorworts, and hornworts aro typos of non-
vascular plants. Romombor that nonvascular plants do
not havo vascular tissuo to dolivor wator and nutrionts.
Instoad, oach plant coll gots wator and nutrionts diroctly
from tho onvironmont or from a noarby coll. Thoroforo,
nonvascular plants usually livo in placos that aro damp.
Nonvascular plants do not havo truo stoms, roots, or
loavos. Howovor, thoy do havo foaturos that holp thom to
got wator and stay in placo. For oxamplo, a rhizoid is a
rootliko structuro that holds somo nonvascular plants in
placo. Rhizoids also holp plants got wator and nutrionts.
Nonvascular glants
have no vascular tissue
have no true roots, stems, leaves, or seeds
are usually small
live in damp places
kEPkODUCIION IN NONVA5CULAk PLANI5
Liko all plants, nonvascular plants havo a two-stago lifo
cyclo. Thoy havo a sporophyto gonoration, which producos
sporos, and a gamotophyto gonoration, which producos
oggs and sporm. Sporm from thoso plants nood wator so
thoy can swim to tho oggs. Nonvascular plants can also
roproduco asoxually, that is, without oggs and sporm.
8EFDRE D0 RE40
NationaI 5cience
Education 5tandards
L5 1a, 1c, 2b, 5c

0rganize As you read this
section, make a chart that
compares vascular plants and
nonvascular plants.
,-...e-! J-.--.-_
1. AppIy Concepts Why
wouldn't you expect to see
nonvascular plants in the
desert!
RE40INC CHECK
2. List What are two
functions of the rhizoid!
ChAPIk 14

Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.
Interactive Textbook 262 Introduction to Plants
5ECIION 2
Namo Class Dato
Seedless Plants
c
b
d
a
Cametophyte
The sporophyte
releases spores
into the air.
Spores land in a moist
place, crack open, and grow
into leafy gametophytes.
Sperm swim through water
from the male gametophyte
to fertilize the egg at the top
of the female gametophyte.
The fertilized egg grows into
a sporophyte. The sporo-
phyte grows from the
top of the gametophyte.
Female
Fertilized egg
Spores
Egg
Sperm
Male
5porophyte
Cametophyte
Sporophyte
Moss Life Cycle
IMPOkIANCE OF NONVA5CULAk PLANI5
Nonvascular plants aro usually tho first plants to livo in
a now onvironmont, such as nowly oxposod rock. Whon
thoso plants dio, thoy broak down and holp form a thin
layor of soil. Thon plants that nood soil in ordor to grow
can movo into thoso aroas.
Somo nonvascular plants aro important as food or
nosting matorial for animals. A nonvascular plant callod
poat moss is important to humans. Whon it turns to poat,
it can bo burnod as a fuol.
What Are the Features of 5eedIess
VascuIar PIants!
Vascular plants havo spocializod tissuos that carry wator
and nutrionts to all thoir colls. Thoso tissuos gonorally
mako soodloss vascular plants largor than nonvascular
plants. Bocauso thoy havo tissuos to movo wator, vascular
plants do not havo to livo in placos that aro damp.
Many soodloss vascular plants, such as forns, havo
a structuro callod a rhizomo. Tho rhizome is an undor-
ground stom that producos now loavos and roots.
Rhizome
L
e
a
f

J. Identify Are the male
and female gametophytes
separate plants or part of the
same plant!
,-...e-! J-.--.-_
4. AppIy Concepts Why do
you think nonvascular plants
can be the hrst plants to
grow in a new environment!
RE40INC CHECK
5. ExpIain How do the cells
of a seedless vascular plant
get water!
Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.
Interactive Textbook 263 Introduction to Plants
5ECIION 2
Namo Class Dato
Seedless Plants
kEPkODUCIION IN 5EEDLE55 VA5CULAk PLANI5
Tho lifo cyclos of vascular plants and nonnvascular
plants aro similar. Sporm and oggs aro producod in gamo-
tophytos. Thoy join to form a sporophyto. Tho sporophyto
producos sporos. Tho sporos aro roloasod. Thoy grow into
now gamotophytos.
Soodloss vascular plants can also roproduco asoxually
in two ways. Now plants can branch off from oldor plants.
Piocos of a plant can fall off and bogin to grow as now plants.
Fern Life CycIe
Sperm
Egg
c
b
Spores land on moist
soil and grow into
gametophytes.
d A sperm swims
through water to
fertilize an egg.
The sporophyte
releases spores
into the air.
a The fertilized egg grows
into a sporophyte.
Fertilized egg
Spores
5porophyte
Female
Male
Cametophyte
IMPOkIANCE OF 5EEDLE55 VA5CULAk PLANI5
Did you know that soodloss vascular plants that livod
JOO million yoars ago aro important to pooplo today?
Aftor thoso anciont forns, horsotails, and club mossos
diod, thoy formod coal and oil. Coal and oil aro fossil
fuols that pooplo romovo from Earth's crust to uso for
onorgy. Thoy aro callod bocauso thoy formod
from plants (or animals) that livod long ago.
Anothor way soodloss vascular plants aro important
is thoy holp mako and prosorvo soil. Soodloss vascular
plants holp form now soil whon thoy dio and broak down.
Thoir roots can mako tho soil doopor, which allows othor
plants to grow. Thoir roots also holp provont soil from
washing away.
Many soodloss vascular plants aro usod by humans. Forns
and somo club mossos aro popular housoplants. Horsotails
aro usod in somo shampoos and skincaro products.
RE40INC CHECK
6. Identify What do spores
grow into!

7. AppIy Concepts Does this
hgure show sexual or asexual
reproduction! Explain your
answer.
RE40INC CHECK
8. ExpIain Where does coal
come from!
Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.
Interactive Textbook 264 Introduction to Plants
Namo Class Dato
5ECIION VOCAULAkY
rbizoid a rootlike structure in nonvascular plants
that holds the plants in place and helps plants
get water and nutrients
rbizome a horizontal underground stem that
produces new leaves, shoots, and roots
1. Compare What aro two difforoncos botwoon a rhizoid and a rhizomo?
2. ExpIain In which gonoration doos soxual roproduction occur? Explain your answor.

3. Compare Uso a Vonn Diagram to comparo vascular and nonvascular plants.
4. Describe What aro two ways in which soodloss nonvascular plants roproduco
asoxually?
5. AppIy Concepts Nonvascular plants aro usually vory small. How doos thoir struc-
turo limit thoir sizo?
Sertoo 2 kevew N5E5 L5 1a, 1c, 2b, 5c