Question

Apophysis in the capsule of Funaria is
(a) Lower part
(b) Upper part
(c) Middle part
(d) Fertile part

Answer 1

Hint: Funaria is a genus of roughly 210 species reported from India. Funaria hygrometrica is the most common species. The capsule is the terminal part of the sporophyte and is developed at the apex of the seta. It is green in color when young but on maturity, it becomes bright orange colored.
A cap-like structure known as calyptra - a tissue that develops from the upper portion of the archegonium, covers it.

Complete step by step answer:
The longitudinal section of the capsule of Funaria shows three distinct regions Apophysis, Theca, Operculum.
Apophysis: It is a sterile solid basal portion of the capsule having chloroplast and present at the lower part of the capsule.
- The stomata have single rings like guard cells.
- Below the epidermis is spongy parenchyma.
 The central part of the apophysis is made up of elongated thin-walled cells forming a conducting strand. It is called the neck of the capsule. it is the photosynthetic region and connects with the capsule.

Additional information:
- Theca: It is in the middle is a slightly bent, spore-bearing region of the Capsule. It lies between the apophysis and operculum.
- Operculum: It is the operation of the capsule. It is dome-shaped and consists of 4 to 5 layers of cells. The outermost layer is thick-walled and called the epidermis. The operculum is differentiated from theca by a well-marked constriction. just below the constriction, there is a diaphragm (rims).
So, the correct answer is,” Lower part”.

Note: Funaria is the earliest multicellular and grows in dense patches or cushions in moist shady and cool places during the rainy season and is reproduced by spore formation. Having a typical height of 3-5 cm, they consist of radial symmetry with the differentiation of an axis/stem. It is moss and contains both male and female sex organs at the top of two different shoots.