JUNGERMANNIALES

(Leafy Liverworts)

PARTHASARATHI B
219PB00391
 Short introduction on the order Jungermanniales
 Some common members under the order
Jungermanniales
 Mode of reproduction Eg. (Porella L.)
 Development of gametangia
 Development of spore and its dehiscence
 Life cycle
Leaves flattened, in 2 or 3 rows, usually broadened to
attachment, often lobed; shoots reclining, erect, or
pendent; rhizoids smooth-walled; archegonia
terminating shoot, surrounded by a chlorophyllose
sheath (perianth); sporophyte with seta; sporangium
spherical to elongate, with elaters and thickenings of the
jacket cell walls, opening by 4 longitudinal lines (rarely
helical); distributed throughout the world, reaching
greatest abundance in humid subtropical to temperate
climates; contains at least 85 percent of the liverworts;
conservatively, 300 genera and more than 7,000 species.
Leafy Liverworts

Porella
Frullania
Cephalozia
Trichocolea
Systematic Position

Division-Bryophyta
Class-Hepaticopsida
Subclass-Jungermanniae
Order-Jungermanniales
Family-Porellaceae
Genus-Porella L. (=Madotheca Dum.)
Porella reproduces vegetatively by the following two methods:

(a) By Progressive Death and Decay of the Gametophyte

The apical growth of the thallus is accompanied by the progressive
death and decay of the older parts of the thallus and consequent
separation of the younger parts at the point of dichotomy of the
thallus. The separated branches develop to form new plants.

(b) By Gemmae
In some species (P. rotundifolia) discoid multicellular gemmae are
produced on the lower surface of the leaves, where thre Gemmae
germinate to produce new plants.
 Porella is dioecious. Male gametophytes are comparatively
smaller than the female gametophyte.

Antheridium:
Antheridia are borne on specialised lateral antheridial branches
which project out at right angles to the main axis (Fig. 6.23A).
The dorsal leaves, called bracts, are smaller than those on the
main branch and are closely imbricated. The ventral leaves
(amphigastria) of the antheridial branch are known as
bracteoles. A single antheridium is borne in the axil of each
leaf (Fig. 6.23B).
 An antheridial initial, divides transversely to produce an outer cell and a
basal cell (Fig. 6.24A, B).

 The basal cell does not divide further and forms the embedded part of the
stalk.

 The outer cell functions as antheridial mother cell which, by transverse

division, forms an upper primary antheridial cell and a lower primary stalk
cell (Fig. 6.24C-D).

 A two-celled thick long stalk is developed from the primary stalk cell,
following repeated transverse and vertical divisions.

 The primary antheridial cell forms the main body of the antheridium. It
forms two identical antheridial cells by a vertical division.
 Each of these cells, by a periclinal division, forms two unequal
cells, the outer smaller first jacket initial and the inner larger
primary androgonial cell (Fig. 6.24E). The latter again divides to
form a second jacket initial.

 Both the jacket initials form a single layered jacket of the

antheridium following periclinal divisions (Fig. 6.24F-G).

 The primary androgonial cell forms a large number of rectangular

androgonial cells following several divisions in all possible planes.

 Androgonial cells further transformed to androcyte mother cell.

 Each androcyte mother cell following a diagonal division forms two

androcytes, each of which metamorphoses into a biflagellate
antherozoid.
 The mature antheridium is differentiated into a globose body and a long
stalk (Fig. 6.24G). The jacket is single-layered at the upper part, while it
becomes 2-3 layered at the lower region through periclinal divisions (Fig.
6.24G). The jacket contains inside a mass of androcytes which ultimately
metamorphose into biflagellate antherozoids.

 The distal part of antheridial jacket is single- layered and thin. This part of
the jacket breaks up into many irregular lobes. This allows the antherozoids
to release into the water.
 Archegonia are produced at the apex of archegonial
branch on the female plant.

 The archegonial branch is much smaller than the

vegetative branch, bearing a number of large
perichaetial leaves (bracts).

 The lower bracts form involucre, while the two upper

bracts coalesce to form a perianth (Fig. 6.23C). Ten to
fifteen archegonia develop within the perianth.
 The archegonia develop in acropetal succession. Each
archegonium develops from a single superficial cell, the
archegonial initial which increases in size and appears as a
papillate outgrowth.

 Archegonial initial  Transeverse division basal cell, outer

cell

 Basal cell divides further to form stalk initial

 Outer cell divides to form peripheral initials which is then later

become jacket initial.

 Jacket initial- transverse division to form venter initial and neck

initial
 Neck initial- only transverse division to form neck
consisting of five vertical rows of cells.

 Venter initial- globular venter of the archegonium

 Primary axial cell  Primary cover cell and lower central

cell

 Central cell  Primary neck canal cell & lower primary

ventral cell

 Primary neck canal cell  6-8 neck canal cells

 Primary ventral cell  one transverse division to form

ventral canal cell and an egg.
 A mature archegonium differentiates into a neck and a
venter (Fig. 6.25). The neck is long, comprises of five
vertical rows of neck cells enclosing 6-8 neck canal
cells. The venter is 2-layered, consists of a small
ventral canal cell and a large egg. A rosette of 4 cover
cells is present at the top of the archegonial neck.
 Like other bryophytes, water is essential for release of
sperms and eventual fertilisation in Porella. The
process of fertilisation is found to be similar with that
of other bryophytes.
 The zygote increases in size and secretes a wall around itself.
Like other bryophytes; zygote divides transversely to form an
epibasal cell and a hypobasal cell (Fig. 6.26A).

 The hypobasal cell does not divide further, it forms a suspensor.

The epibasal cell divides transversely to form two daughter cells.

 These daughter cells undergo repeated transverse as well as

vertical divisions in regular sequence to form an irregular mass
of cells (Fig. 6.26B).

 Later, the peripheral amphithecium and inner endothecium are

differentiated by the periclinal divisions in the upper part of the
embryo.
 The amphithecium gives rise to the capsule wall, while the
entire endothecium functions as archesporium.

 The archesporium forms the sporogenous tissue through the

repeated divisions in all possible planes.

 The sporogenous tissue differentiates into spore mother

cells and elater mother cells.

 The elater mother cells become elongated, endowed with

two spiral thickening and form the sterile elaters.

 The spore mother cells divide meiotically to produce

haploid spores. The foot and seta develop from the lower
part of the embryo (Fig. 6.26C).
 The mature sporophyte of porella differentiates into three parts, viz., foot, seta
and capsule (Fig. 6.26C). The young sporophyte is enclosed by three protective
coverings — calyptra, perianth and involucre (Fig. 6.23C and Fig. 6.26C).

Foot:
It is the expanded bulbous mass of cells at the base of the
sporogonium.

Seta:
It is an elongated structure which connects -the foot with the
capsule, made up of parenchymatous cells.

Capsule:
It is a globose structure containing numerous spores and elaters. The
jacket is 3-4 cells thick, made up of thick-walled parenchymatous cells,
except for four vertical rows of thin-walled cells that demarcates the
vertical lines of dehiscence.
L.S of Mature Sporophyte
 At maturity, the seta elongates suddenly, pushing the
capsule out of the calyptra and perianth (Fig. 6.26D).
As the capsule wall dries up, the capsule now splits into
four valves along the line of dehiscence. The
hygroscopic movement of elaters help in discharging of
spores.
 The spores are round, spherical or globular bodies
varying from 0.03 to 0.05 mm in diameter.

 The wall of each spore is bilayered, of which outer

layer is smooth, papillose or echinate and called
exospore, while the inner layer is smooth and called
endospore.

 The spores are uninucleate.

 The spore is the first stage of gametophytic generation. A spore has two
concentric walls: the outer ornamented exine and the inner thin- walled
intine. Sometimes a third layer, called perinium, is found outside the
exine.

 The spore germinates immediately after the fall on the suitable

substratum. It differentiates into an apical cell. Then a multicellular
thailoid structure is formed (Fig. 6.27). The rhizoids develop from the
lower side and leaves are produced on the upper side.

 The germination of spores may take place while the spores are still
within the capsule.

 Fig. 6.28 shows the life cycle of Porella.

 Bryophyta - O P Sharma

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