Question

Which of the following is responsible for peat formation?
A. Riccia
B. Sphagnum
C. Funaria
D. Marchantia

Answer 1

Hint: Peat is a collection of partially decaying plant or organic materials, often known as turf. Peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, and muskegs are the only places where it may be found. It's a dark, soil-like deposit created by the partial breakdown of plant materials in the damp acidic conditions of bogs and fens, and it's frequently taken out and dried for use as fuel for gardening.

Complete solution:
To find the correct answer we will look at each of the options in relation to their role in peat formation.
Option: (a) The genus Riccia belongs to the Marchantiales order of liverworts. These plants are tiny and thalloid, meaning they lack root, stem, and leaf differentiation. They have nothing to do with the production of peat.
Option: (a) is not correct.
Option: (b) Sphagnum is a moss genus that is usually referred to as peat moss. Peat is a naturally occurring deposit of partially decomposed plant or organic waste found only in peatlands. Sphagnum moss may spread into drier areas as it matures, producing bigger peatlands.
Option: (b) is correct.
Option: (c) Funaria, sometimes known as 'cord moss,' thrives in wet, shaded, and damp soil. It is not related to peat production.
Option: (c) is not correct.
Option: (d) Marchantia is a bryophyte genus. They are liverworts that grow in damp, gloomy areas. They don't have real roots, stems, or leaves. The body of the plant is thalloid. They have nothing to do with the production of peat.
Option: (d) is not correct.

Hence, option (b) Sphagnum is the correct answer

Note:
Sphagnum moss is a plant that grows on the bog, soil, or swamp's surface layer. It thrives in cold, damp conditions. The ancient pieces sink into the bottom layer as time passes. In the oxygenless layer, the breakdown process takes a long time. However, it is patient, and over millennia, a thick covering of dead homogenous material known as peat moss forms.