Tag: cryptogams

Sexual reproduction involves the mixing of genes from two different parents to give offspring with a genetic make-up similar to, but different from, each parent. In Bryophytes the process requires the production of male gametes (sperm), female gametes (eggs) and some means of getting the sperm to the eggs. The gametes are produced on the gametophytes. Water is essential for sexual reproduction in Bryophytes, since it is water that carries the sperm to the egg.

Bryophytes include the various mosses commonly growing in moist shaded areas. Mosses from dense mats on the soil, thus reduce the impact of falling rain and prevent soil erosion.

Bryophytes are the cryptogamae, which do not bear flowers and seeds. They are non-vascular land plants of moist habitat, in which diploid sporophyte lives as a parasite on independent haploid gametophyte. 
Pteridophytes are vascular cryptogams due to the presence of vascular tissues in the plant body.
Gymnosperms and Angiosperms are Phanerogams, which possess flowers and seeds.

In Bryophyta, organs are referred to as "Leaf like' and 'Stem like' and not the true leaf and stem, because leaf and stem have the complex tissues, which perform the water and food conduction. Bryophytes being the lower plants do not have true leaf, stem and roots. They do not have vascular tissue system. 

Bryophytes are non vascular land plants. Fungi and algae belongs to the group Thallophyta, which is the lower plants than Bryophytes on land. Pteridophytes are the first vascular plants on land with all vascular tissues. Since, Bryophytes do not have true leaf, stem and roots, do not have vascular tissues for the water and food conduction, water is absorbed by diffusion process. 

Bryophyta includes the simplest and primitive land plants, which are characterised by the persence of independent gametophyte and parasitic sporophyte. They are non-vascular land plants with undifferentiated plant body. the plant body is not divided into true leaves, stem and roots. In all bryophytes the ecologically persistent, photosynthetic phase of the life cycle is the haploid, gametophyte generation rather than the diploid sporophyte; bryophyte sporophytes are very short-lived, are attached to and nutritionally dependent on their gametophytes and consist of only an unbranched stalk, or seta, and a single, terminal sporangium. 

Bryophytes are also called as the amphibians of the plant world due to their preference for moist habitat and dependence on water for fertilization, despite being land plants.

Bryophytes are the non-vascular terrestrial plants of moist habitats in which a multicellular diploid sporophyte lives as a parasite on an independent multicellular haploid gametophyte. Bryophytes include the mosses and liverworts that are found commonly growing in moist shaded areas in the hills. The plant body of bryophytes is more differentiated than that of algae. It is thallus-like and maybe prostrate or erect. They lack true roots. The plant body is attached to the substratum by root-like structures called rhizoids. The rhizoids may be unicellular or multicellular.

Xylem and phloem are vascular tissues which are a complex conducting tissue formed of more than one type of cell. Xylem transports water and minerals while phloem conducts organic food. Bryophytes do not have to conduct tissues. They are non-vascular terrestrial plants of moist habitats in which a multicellular diploid sporophyte lives as a parasite on an independent multicellular haploid gametophyte. Pteridophytes are the first terrestrial plants to possess conducting tissues.