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Classification of
Bryophytes
General Characters
The word bryophyte is the collective term
for mosses, hornworts and liverworts
Bryology is the study of bryophytes.
Includes the simplest and most primitive
land plants.
Plants lack true vascular system, hence
called non-vascular plants.
Terrestrial but need water to complete life-
cycle, hence called amphibians of plant
kingdom.
Mostly, grow on shady damp places.
General Characters
Gametophytic Plant Body
Dominant plant body is gametophytic (n).
Thalloid plant body i.e. not differentiated
into true roots, stem and leaves. Or leafy
shoots are present.
Plants are green and possess
chloroplasts.
Roots are absent, replaced by unicellular
or multicellular rhizoids.
Vascular tissue completely absent.
Structure: Gametophyte
Gametophore leafy Moss
structure or thick, gametophore
conspicuous part
Leafy Liverwort
Thallose liverwort
General Characters
Reproduction
Always oogamous
Male gamete is small and motile, female
gamete is large and non-motile.
Male reproductive organs are antheridia
and female are archegonia.
Both are multicellular and jacketed.
Antheridia are differentiated into stalk, and
body.
Archegonia are stalked and differentiated
into venter and neck.
Antheridium
Archegonium
General Characters
Sporophyte
Represents diploid zygote, the first cell of
sporophytic generation.
Totally dependant on gametophyte.
In most, differentiated into foot, seta and
capsule
The sporophyte produce haploid spores.
The spores fall on suitable substratum &
germinate to produce gametophytic plant
body.
Sporophyte
Moss
Liverwort Hornwort
General Characters
Young gametophyte
Leafy liverwort
Classification of Bryophytes
1. Hepaticopsida the liverworts
The Four Classes of Hepaticopsida
* Calobryales
* Jungermanniales
* Marchantiales
* Metzgeriales
Classification of Bryophytes
* Sphanidae
* Andreaeidae
* Bryidae