Question

What are the five characteristics of Anthocerotopsida?

Answer 1

Hint: Bryophytes are nonvascular plants. Bryophytes are classified into Bryopsida, Anthocerotopsida, Hepaticopsida. Anthocerotopsida comprises hornworts.

Complete answer:
Bryophytes are a group of non-vascular small plants which comprises liverworts, hornworts and mosses. These plants live in wet habitats. They do not possess true stems, leaves and rother. The body is rather made up of thallus. They have a root-like structure called the rhizoids which attaches to the substrate.

To answer this question, we must know about the characteristics of the Anthocerotopsida which is also known as hornworts.
- It comprises around 300 species and has only one order called the Anthocerotales.
- The plant body is known as a gametophyte which is flat, is a simple thallus, dorsiventral and does not show any internal differentiation.
- The root-like structures called the rhizoids are smooth-walled.
- The cell has the chloroplast which has a pyrenoid.
- The presence of dorsally embedded sex organs in the thallus is observed.
- Asexual reproduction takes place under unfavourable conditions. They reproduce asexually by the vegetative propagation that is the fragmentation of the thallus and also by the tubers.
- Sexual reproduction takes place through the medium of water where the sperms travel across the archegonium(female) to the antheridium. Sexual reproduction produces sporophytes. This sporophyte releases spores and forms gametophytes.

Note: The bryophytes are known as the amphibians of the plant kingdom as they require water for completing their life cycle. These plants are economically important as they are considered rock builders. They are considered the first organisms during succession. The bryophytes help in recycling the nutrients.