Question

Give salient features of Bryophytes with two examples.

Answer 1

Hint: Bryophytes are simple terrestrial plants that depend on water for fertilization.

Complete answer:
Bryophyta are the simplest group of land plants that are relatively poorly adapted to life on land, so they are mainly confined to damp, shady places. Bryophytes include mosses, liverworts and hornworts.

- They require a moist environment to complete their life-cycle but are terrestrial plants. Hence these are called amphibians of the plant kingdom.
- These are non-vascular plants i.e. have no xylem and phloem.
- They are without a distinct root system but are attached to the substratum by means of thin, filamentous outgrowth of the thallus called rhizoids.
- They are more advanced than algae as they develop special reproductive organs that are enclosed in a protective jacket layer of sterile cells. The male sex organ is called antheridium and the female sex organ is called archegonium.
- Bryophytes show distinct alternation of generation in their life cycles.
- They do not produce flowers or seeds. They reproduce via spores.

Note: Bryophytes show distinct alternation of gametophytic generation with sporophytic generation. Gametophyte generation is dominant and independent. Sporophyte generation is very small, microscopic and dependent on the gametophyte phase.