Bryophyta (Gk bryon= moss, phyton=plant, represent a group of plants that includes liverworts, hornworts and mosses growing predominantly in amphibious environment. Bryophytes are classified into three classes namely Hepaticopsida, Antherocerotopsida and Bryopsida.
Classification of Bryophytes
i Hepaticopsida:
- Common name: liverworts
- Gametophytic plant body: may be thallose or foliose. Aseptate rhizoids.
- Sex organs: Present on dorsal surface of thallus.
- Sporophyte or sporogonium: Differentiated into foot, seta and capsule.
- Elaters: Generally present, absent in some like Riccia
- Sporogenous tissue: Develops from endothecium
- Dehisce of capsule: Irregular
- Hepaticopsida Examples: Riccia, Marchantia, Sphaerocarpus
- Common name: hornworts
- Gametophytic plant body: Thallose. Aseptate rhizoids.
- Sex organs: Present on dorsal surface of thallus.
- Sporophyte or sporogonium: foot, short meristematic region and capsule.
- Elaters: Pseudoelaters are present in the capsule.
- Sporogenous tissue: Develops from amphithecium and endothecium form sterile columella.
- Dehisce of capsule: Irregular
- Anthocerotopsida Examples: Anthoceros, Megaceros, Notothylus
- Common name: Mosses
- Gametophytic plant body: Thalloid protonema and leafy gametophore.Obliquely septate rhizoids.
- Sex organs: Develop from the superficial cells at the apex of leafy gametophore.
- Sporophyte or sporogonium:
- Foot, seta and capsule.
- Elaters: Absent
- Sporogenous tissue: Develops from outer layer of endothecium. Inner layer forms sterile columella.
- Dehisce of capsule: Regular
- Bryopsida Examples: Funaria, Sphagnum, Polytrichum
