Tag: pictorial feature of plant kingdom

Mosses are small flowerless plants that grow in shady regions having adequate moisture. These are spore producing plants. Common examples of mosses include Sphagnum, Funaria and Polytrichum. Sphagnum is commonly called as peat moss. Funaira is a water moss that grows in shady, damp places. Polytrichum is commonly called as haircap moss. Riccia is a genus of liverworts

Both Riccia and Marchantia belong to Class Hepaticosida/Hepaticae that includes 3 orders, the two genera belong to Order Marchantiales, that has specialized vertical stalks called the archegoniophores and serile cells called elaters in the sporangium. The plant body shows dichotomous branching.

Mosses form a protective covering over the crumbling soil of cliffs and prevent the rushing rainwater from cutting deeply into the soil. These grow in dense mats so firmly intertwined around the soil particles that there can be little erosion, even on a steep hillside.

Sperm of mosses are biflagellated, ie., it has two flagella that aid in propulsion. Since sperm must swim to the archegonium, fertilisation cannot occur without water.

Riccia is a liverwort (Hepaticae), which grows predominantly in wet terrestrial habitats and are free-floating or submerged aquatic.

Sperm of mosses are biflagellated, ie., it has two flagella that aid in propulsion. Since sperm must swim to the archegonium, fertilisation cannot occur without water.

The only aquatic bryophyte is Riccia fluitans, or crystalwort, which  is a floating bladderwort. Sphagnum is also called as peat moss or bog moss. The sporophyte is completely surrounded by a tough protective covering called the calyptra. The new adult gametophytes grow from a tiny bud that develops on the protonema.