BOT 3 Laboratory Hand-out

Exercise 5. Non- Vascular Plants: Bryophytes

Schematic flow chart for Bryophytes

Kingdom Plantae – eukaryotic; multicellular; organ-forming

- Photoautotrophic; having chl a and b as well as carotene and xanthophyll
- Exhibit diplo-haplontic life cycle
- mostly terrestrial

Bryophytes – no vascular tissues

- sporophyte is dependent to gametophyte

Comparison of the three Divisions:

Characteristics Hepatophyta Anthocerophyta Bryophyta

Representative species Marchantia Anthoceros Fissidens
Thallose (w/ midrib); Thallose; Leafy*;
Thallus type
dioecious monoecious dioecious
Dominant stage Gametophyte Gametophyte Gametophyte
Gemmae Present Absent Absent
Gametophores Present Absent Present
Sporophyte parts Foot, seta, capsule Foot, seta, capsule Foot, seta, capsule
Sporophyte life span Short-lived Short-lived Short-lived
Chloroplasts in the
Absent Present Absent
sporophyte
Structure for spore Elaters, peristome teeth,
Elaters (unicellular) Pseudo-elaters (multicellular)
dispersal operculum
Thallose: Riccia and Erect: Pogonatum and
Other representative Cyathodium Mnium
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species Leafy**: Plagiochila and Creeping: Sphagnum and
Bazzania Thuidium
* ‘leaves’ are smooth; may have midrib; compact and spirally-arranged in the stem
** ‘leaves’ can be smooth or serrated; arranged in 3 rows along the stem (with amphigastria)
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Sporogenesis
Sporogenous tissue  spore mother cell (sporocyte)  spores

Spermatogenesis
Spermatogenous tissue  sperm cells

A B

A. Male gametophyte of Marchantia B. L-section of Marchantia antheridial head

C D

C. L-section of Marchantia archegonial head D. L-section of Marchantia sporophyte

E F G

E. Protonema(ta) Habit of Riccia (F) and Cyathodium (G).

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A B

Lower (A) and upper (B) portions of Anthoceros sporophyte

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Life cycle of hornworts

A B

A. Habit of Pogonatum, an erect moss B. Whole mount of Fissidens’ gametophyte

C D

C. ‘Stem’cross section of Fissidens D. Whole mount of Sphagnum’s leaf

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E F

E. Whole mount of Fissidens’ capsule F. L-section of Fissidens’ capsule

G. L-section of Mnium’s antheridium

H. L-section of Mnium’s archegoniun

BOT 3 Laboratory Hand-out