BL 7 Bryophytes

BRYOPHYTES
• They are intermediate between higher algae and lower

pteridophytes with many known species eg. mosses,
liverworts and hornworts.
• They are simple but highly adapted to variety of

terrestrial life and environment (even deserts)
• Their gametophyte is photosynthetic

• The sporophyte depend on the gametophyte to some
extent
• They also need moisture/water for reproduction –

• Most bryophytes are small – few exceed 7cm
• The gametophyte stage is more conspicuous than the
sporophyte stage
• In some, sporophyte may be completely enclosed in the

gametophyte tissue/stage
• Bryophytes are more advanced than algae by

possessing archegonium, multicellular antheridia and
distinct alternation of generation
• They are like pteridophytes but

• Absence of true vascular tissues
• Sporophyte stage of bryophtyes grows from the
zygote which has diploid number of chromosomes
(2n)
• Sporophyte engages in asexual reproduction and

forms the spores
• It is a product of sexual reproduction and

represents a stage between fertilization and meiosis
• The gametophyte stage forms the gamete and has

haploid number of chromosomes and reproduces
sexually
Bryophytes are classed into
• Bryopsida (Musci or Mosses)
• Hepaticae (Liverworts)
• Anthoceroptosida (Hornwort)
Fig 1. Images of Bryophytes

Bryopsida (Musci or Mosses)
Gametophyte consist of small leaf-like
structure arranged alternately around stem-like
axis
Axis anchored to its substrate by rhizoids

Rhizoids contain cells that absorb water.
Fig.1: Gametophyte and sporophyte
• Similarity of moss leave with true leaf is in the area
of superficial appearance of green leaf, flattened
blade and slightly thickened midrib running
lengthwise
• They are one cell thick except at the midrib

• They lack vascular strands and stomata
• Multicellular gametangia is formed at the tip of the

leafy gametophyte
• Female (archegonia) or male (antheridia)
gametangia may develop on the same
gametophyte or separate plant
• One egg is produced in the archegonium while

numerous sperm cells are produced in the
antheridium
• Fertilization between the two gametes produce

the zygote
• The zygote divides by mitosis and develop into the

sporophyte phase containing the sporangium
• The base of the sporophyte is embeded in the
gametophyte tissue for nutrient source as it
develops
• Spore mother cells in the sporangium undergo

meiosis to produce four haploid spores
• Tip of sporangium may pop off to release spores
• Spores land on favourable ground, germinate to

form rhizoids and buds
• Each bud develop into new gametophyte with leafy
axis
Liverworts
• Some common liverworts have flattened
gametophytes with lobes resembling liver, others have
air chambers with pores to enhance gas exchange
• Unlike stomata, pores are fixed open and cannot close

• Sexual reproduction in liverworts is similar to those of
mosses
• Shape of gametangia may however, vary

• Asexual reproduction takes place when piece of tissue
released from gametophyte grow to form new
gametophytes
Hornworts (Anthoceroptophyta)
• The hornwort sporophyte resemble tiny green broom
handles
• Usually <2cm in diameter growing from filmy

gametophytes
• Sporophyte base is embedded in the gametophyte
tissue for nutrition
• Sporohyte has stomata, photosynthetic and provide

much of the energy needed for growth and
reproduction
Typical example of the Hepaticae (liverworts) is
Marchantia sp
• Division- Bryophyta
• Class – Hepaticae
• Order – Marchantiales
• Family – Marchantiaceae
• Genus – Marchantia
• Species – Marchantia sp
• They are flat ribbon shaped and grow dichotomously

branched with body described as thallus
• Body is one cell thick but midrib is more than one cell
• The body is arranged dorsoventrally flattened with
two sets of root-like structures – rhizoids
• The one running vertically downward for H2O and

mineral absorption while the one running parallel to
the thallus for moisture extraction
• They have openings like stomata on the body but no

guard cells
• They reproduce asexually by breakage (Gemma

formation)
• Gemma are cuplike structures containing spores
found on the dorsal part of the thallus
• When gemma opens the spores are released and

carried by water and wind to areas of germination
into sporophyte
• Antheridiophore and archigoniophore grows at the

notch of the dichotomous branching
• Antheridiophore has flat circular lobe while the

archegoniophore has green smooth disc projected
into disc rays
Fig. 3: Structure of antheridiophore and archigoniophore
Fig 4. Life cycle of Marchantia plant showing alternation of generation
• Division: Bryophyte
• Class: Musci (Moss)
• Order: Bryales
• Family: Bryaceae
• Genus: Funaria
• Species: Funaria sp
• Unlike in Marchantia, Funaria spore does not

directly germinate into gametophyte
• It goes through the stage of protonema before the
gametophyte
Fig. 5: Structure of Funaria plant
• Funaria is also known as common moss or green
moss or cord moss.
• The main plant body of Funaria is gametophyte and
is of two forms.
• (1) Juvenile form (creeping protonema).

• (2) Adult form (leafy gametophore).
• Protonema is the branched filamentous portion

which is produced by germination of spores. It is
ephemeral or short lived.
Fig. 3: Germination of spore to Protonema
• Leafy gametophore develop from buds produced on
protonema and is made up of axis with spirally
arranged leaves.
• It is 1-3 cm in height, green and is monopodially

branched.
• The main branch of leafy gametophore bears male

reproductive organs (antheridia) and the side
branch carries the female organ.
REPRODUCTION
• Funaria reproduces both by vegetative and sexual
methods.
• Vegetative reproduction: Vegetative reproduction
takes place by fragmentation, protonema, gemma
and others.
Sexual reproduction:
• The Funaria plant is monoecious and autoecious,
i.e. male (antheridia) and female (archegonia)
organs are produced on the same plant but on
different branches.
• Male organs mature first hence Funaria plants are
Protandrous
• There are two generations in life cycle of Funaria

• gametophytic generation (n) which is independent
and complex
• sporophytic generation (2n) which is partially

dependent upon gametophytic generation.
• These two generations follow each other in regular

sequence and is called alternation of generations.
Fig. : Structure of Funaria plant
Fig. 6: Life cycle of Funaria plant

BL 7 Bryophytes

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BRYOPHYTES

• They are intermediate between higher algae and lower

• They are simple but highly adapted to variety of

• Their gametophyte is photosynthetic

• They also need moisture/water for reproduction –

• In some, sporophyte may be completely enclosed in the

• Bryophytes are more advanced than algae by

• They are like pteridophytes but

• Sporophyte engages in asexual reproduction and

• It is a product of sexual reproduction and

• The gametophyte stage forms the gamete and has

Fig 1. Images of Bryophytes

Axis anchored to its substrate by rhizoids

• They are one cell thick except at the midrib

• Multicellular gametangia is formed at the tip of the

• One egg is produced in the archegonium while

• Fertilization between the two gametes produce

• The zygote divides by mitosis and develop into the

• Spore mother cells in the sporangium undergo

• Spores land on favourable ground, germinate to

• Unlike stomata, pores are fixed open and cannot close

• Shape of gametangia may however, vary

• Usually <2cm in diameter growing from filmy

• Sporohyte has stomata, photosynthetic and provide

• They are flat ribbon shaped and grow dichotomously

• The one running vertically downward for H2O and

• They have openings like stomata on the body but no

• They reproduce asexually by breakage (Gemma

• When gemma opens the spores are released and

• Antheridiophore and archigoniophore grows at the

• Antheridiophore has flat circular lobe while the

• Unlike in Marchantia, Funaria spore does not

• (1) Juvenile form (creeping protonema).

• Protonema is the branched filamentous portion

• It is 1-3 cm in height, green and is monopodially

• The main branch of leafy gametophore bears male

• There are two generations in life cycle of Funaria

• sporophytic generation (2n) which is partially

• These two generations follow each other in regular

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