Division Bryophyta

Non-Vascular Plants - Division Bryophyta

• Include mosses, liverworts & hornworts
• Are composed of green leaf-like structures
• Have root like structures called rhizoids
• Are non vascular plants


• Do not contain tissues to conduct H₂O (limits their size)

Moss

• Exhibit clear alternation of generations
• Plants reproduce sexually, and are male and female
• Male & female can occur as separate plants or on same plant
• Have a dominant Gametophyte generation
• This generation is haploid (N)
• Produces sperm and egg
• Sporophyte generation is diploid (2N)
• Produces spores ONLY through meiosis (unlike fungi)

Life Cycle of moss (Class Bryopsida)

• Sperm are produced in Male structure called Antheridia
• Eggs are produced in female structure called Archegonium


• Sperm is transferred to archegonium via rain. Feritiization results in a diploid zygote This develops into the sporophyte generation This grows from the interior of the archegonium and is composed of three parts
• Foot (attaches to archegonium)
• Seta - a stalk-like structure
• Capsule - produces spores
• Sporophyte produces spores via meiosis Spores are released and grow into more of the gametophyte generation.

Life cycle of a moss

Class Hepaticophyta: The Liverworts.

• Named due to the fact that the main body or thallus of the plant can be liver-shaped
• Life cycle similar to Brypohytes.
• Produce special structures called Gemmae Cups. Which allow asexual reproduction
• Produce balls of tissue called Gemmae.
• When rain splashes into cups, gemmae are released and can develop into an independent plant

A Liverwort

Liverwort Reproductive Structures

Class Anthroceropsida - The Hornworts

• Very similar to liverworts. But smaller.
• Usually have leafy thallus
• Cells are similar in some respects to algae.
• Usually only have 1 large chloroplast in cells
• Archegonia & Antheridia are usually embedded in the gametophyte thallus

Typical hornwort