Tag: examples of bryophytes

Sphagnum do  not decay readily because of the phenolic compounds embedded in the moss's cell walls. Peat moss can also acidify its surroundings by taking up cations, such as calcium and magnesium and releasing hydrogen ions. Due to presence of hyaline cells, they have the large water-holding capacity.

The moss sporophyte is completely dependent upon the gametophyte for its nutrition. The sporophyte is responsible for producing spores.

The apical portion of the capsule is specialised to regulate spore discharge. It matures into operculum and peristome at maturity, the operculum falls exposing the underlying peristome, which surrounds the mouth of the dehiscent capsule.

The Funaria plants are monoecious and autoecious, i.e., male (antheridia, club shaped) and female (archegonia, flask shaped) reproductive organs are produced on, the same plant but on different branches. 

The terms, 'caulonema' and 'chloronema' for protonema of Funaria were given by Bopp. Bopp (1961) found that the caulonema stage, and thus the bud stage, can be delayed by low temperature, submersion, or low light.

• Moss peat is decayed dried sphagnum moss. It is hygroscopic, i.e. it has the ability to hold water either by absorption or adsorption. Its use as packing material for sending flowers and live plants to distant places helps to keep flowers and plants fresh.
• Hence Moss peat is used as a packing material and for sending flowers and live plants to distant places because it is hygroscopic.
• So, the correct answer is 'Hygroscopic'.

Bryophytes are composed of true parenchyma derived from three-dimensional growth usually from an apical meristem. Stems in mosses are multicellular and can show a surprising amount of tissue differentiation depending on the species of moss. Typically,  most mosses have cortical cells (also called parenchyma cells) that compose much of the stem, and thick walled cells, for structural support.

In Mosses, column of cells running up the middle of the sterile jacket is called as columella.

In Funaria, rhizoid contains 10 chromosome, then number of chromosome in seta, leaf and calyptra are respectively 20, 10 and 10. The number of chromosomes in leaf and calyptra wil be the same as the rhizoid but the number of chromosomes in seta will be 2n that is double the number of chromosomes present in the rhizoids.

The protonema is an elongate, thread-like structure that develops from the germinated spore of mosses. The protonemal stage is the best-studied part of bryophyte development.