BRYOPHYTES

Prepared by
Dr. Rukhshana Parveen
Assistant Professor, Department of Botany
Gautum Buddha Mahila College, Gaya
Magadh University, Bodhgaya

Bryophyta is a group of the simplest land plants which are considered to have evolved
from green algae.
Bryophytes occupy intermediate position between Algae and Pteridophytes.
Bryophyta is a Greek word Bryon= Moss ; phyton= plants.
There are 25,000 species of liverworts and mosses.
The term bryophyta was coined by Robert Braun (1864).
The study of Bryophytes is called Bryology.
Father of Bryology – Hedwig.
Father of Indian Bryology – S.R.Kashyap.
This group is regarded as Amphibians of plant kingdom. They require water for
fertilization.
Bryophytes are widely distributed throughout the world (moist forest of Tropics, Sub-
tropics and Antarctic).
In India most of the species are confined to the Northern Himalayas, Southern
Himalayas, Nilgiri Hills and Western Himalayas (known as gold mines of
liverworts). Some species also occur in the plains of South India, M.P., U.P.,
Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Example of bryophytes :- Riccia, Marchantia, Anthoceros, Sphagum, Pellia
Polytricum, Funaria

1. Marchantia sp. 2. Pellia epiphylla 3. Riccia sp.

 4. Anthoceros sp. 5. Sphagnum sp.

6. Polytricum commune 7. Funaria hygrometrica

General Characteristic of Bryophytes:-

Gametophytic and sporophytic phases are present in the life cycle of brophytes.
Theses phases are heteromorphic.
Gametophytic phase is long lived, independent, green, and freely branched. But
sporophytic phase is short lived and completely dependent upon gametophytes.
Gametophyte is thalloid and prostrate but in Mosses the plant body is erect and leafy.
True roots absent. Rhizoids are present which perform the function of anchorage and
absorption. These are unicellular and unbranched or multicellular and branched.
Scales are present which protect the growing region of the thallus and help in
absorption of water.
Plant body is composed of parenchymatous cells only and lack vascular cells (Xylem
& Phloem).
They reproduce by vegetative and sexual methods.
Vegetative multiplication takes place by :-
Tuber
Gemmae
Death and decay of older parts
Adventitious branches
Branch tips
Protonema
Rhizoids
Bulbils

Sexual reproduction is Oogamous type. Sex organs are multicellular and jacketed.
Male sex organ is called Antheridia which are stalked, and globose or somewhat
elliptical. Outer sterile jacket present. Solid mass of fertile cells called Androcytes
present. These androcytes metamorphoses into motile bifagellated Antherozoids.
Both the flagella are whiplash.
Female sex organ is called Archegonium which is flask shaped structure having
basal swollen Venter and elongated upper part neck. The Venter and neck are
surrounded by sterile jacket. Egg is present in Venter.
Water is necessary for fertilization. Many antherozoids may enter the neck but only
one fuse with egg and form the zygote.
Zygote divides immediately after fertilization. The first division is always transverse
and outer cell form embryo (Exoscopic mode of development).
Embryo form sporophyte which completely depend on gametophyte.
Sporophyte is represented by capsule or capsule and foot or capsule, foot and seta.
Sporogenous cell (sore mother cell, S.M.C.) present in the capsule undergo meiotic
division and form haploid spores (Meiospores).
All spores are similar in shape and size (Homosporous).
Spores are non motile and disseminate by wind.
Spores germinate in favourable conditions and form young gametophyte or protonema
as in mosses.
Figure1. Bryophytes: A. Riccia (Rosette Habitat), B.Riccia (Thallus), C. Marchantia,
D. Pellia, E. Anthoceros, F. Funaria,G. Polytricum

Figure2. Vegetative Reproduction in Bryophytes

 Figure3. Types of Sporophytes in Bryophytes

Figure4. Life cycle of Bryophytes (Diagrammatic)

Economic importance of Bryophytes
They help in soil formation.
They work as soil binders.
Some are used as fodder and as bed for animals.
They are used in seed bed.
They are used as fuel, in preparation of ethyl alcohol, peat tar, ammonia and paraffin.
Peat tar known as sphagnol used in treatment of skin disease.
They are used as experimental material.
Marchantia polymorpha has beenvery much useful to cure pulmonary tuberculosis and
tumor. Sphagnum used against haemorrhage,and eye diseases. Antibiotic activities have
been reported from plants like Polytricum, Sphagnum, Dicranum, Barhula.

Classification of Bryophytes
Bryophyte was used first times by Braun (1864), who included algae, fungi, lichen
and mosses in this group. Later algae, fungi and lichen placed in Thallophyta and
liverworts and mosses in Bryophyta.
Many bryologists gave the system of classification of bryophytes. These includes
Eichler( 1883), Engler (1892), Bessey(1911), Verdoorn (1932), Bower (1935),
Evans(1938), Campbell (1910, 1940 ),Smith (1938, 1955), Takhtajan (1953),
Tippo(1942) and Proskauer(1957)

Eichler in 1883 recognized two sub groups in the Bryophyta

1. Hepaticae- Liverworts
2. Musci- Mosses

Proskauer(1957) divided Bryophyta into three division

Division Bryophyta :-

1. Hepaticopsida:-
Marchantiales( Riccia, Marchantia)
Sphaerocarpales
Jungermanniales
Calobryales
2. Anthocerotopsida:-
Anthcerotales (Anthoceros)
3. Bryopsida:-

Musci (Pogonatum)

1. Hepaticopsida:-

Plant body is thalloid or foliose, prostrate, lobed, dichotomously branched.

Rhizoids (tuberculate) and scale present.
Photosynthetic cells contain numerous chloroplasts.
Vegetative reproduction by death and decay of older parts.
Sex organ on dorsal or terminal position.
Sporophyte represented by capsule.
Sporogenous cell develop from endothecium.
Capsule does not have columella.
Sterile cells are elaters.
Dehiscence of capsule is irregular.
Spore gives rise to gametophyte.

2. Anthocerotopsida

Gametophyte is flat, dorsiventral, lobed and thalloid.

Smooth rhizoid present.
Scale absent.
Thallus has uniform internal organization.
Air pores absent. Slime pore present.
Sex organ embedded in thallus.
Sporophyte represented by capsule, foot, seta.
Sporogenous cell developed from amphithecium .
Pseudoelaters present.

3. Bryopsida
Leaves have midrib.
Embryo has two growing points .
Sporophyte represented by capsule, foot, seta.
Spore sac surrounded by air chambers.
Capsule has operculum and peritomial teeth.
Protonema is filamentous and produces leafy gametophores.

Books Cited: -
1. Saxena, R.S. 2018. Text Book B.Sc. Botany-1.
2. Vashishta, B.R. 1963. Bryophyta, Botany for degree students.
3. Singh, R. K. 2018. Fundamentals of Botany- Vol. 1.
4. Singh, V., Pande , S.N. and Jain 2010. Text Book of Botany.