cryptogames

1. CRYPTOGAMS

2. The division Bryophyta (Gr. bryon=moss) includes
over 25000 species of non-vascular embryophytes
such asmosses, liverworts andhornworts.
Bryophytes are small plants (2cm to 60cm) that
grow in moist shady places.
They don’t attain great heights becauseof absence of
roots, vascular tissues, mechanical tissues and cuticle.
They are terrestrial but require external water to
complete their lifecycle.
Hence,they are called “Amphibians of plant kingdom”. Also
--Atracheata/ atracheophyta
BRYOPHYTES

3. Salient features
They follow heterologous haplodiplontic type of life
cycle.
The dominant plant body is gametophyte on which
sporophyte is semiparasitic for its nutrition.
The thalloid gametophyte differentiated in to
rhizoids, axis (stem) andleaves.
Vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) absent.
The gametophyte bears multi-cellular and jacketed
sex
organs (antheridia andarchegonia).Sexual
reproduction is oogamoustype.

4. Multi-cellularembryo develops inside
archegonium.
Sporophyte differentiated into foot, seta
and capsule.
Capsule produces haploid meiospores
of similar types
(homosporous)
 Spore germinates into juvenile
gametophyte called protonema

5.  So in bryophyta sporophytes dependent on gametophytes
similarity between the bryophyta and pteridophytes
they are terrestrial
they both have heteromorphic type of alteration of
generation
multicellular and jacketed sex organs
Asexual Reproduction by means of mitospores and
accessories spores are absent
Oogamous type of reproduction (motile male and non
motile female)
both have the necessity of water for the reproduction