Phylum: - Bryophyta

Mosses belong to phylum Bryophyta, which consists of six classes:-

Phylum: - Bryophyta
1. Class: - Takakiopsida
1. Order: - Takakiales e.g. Takakia
2. Class: - Sphagnopsida
1. Order: - Sphagnales e.g. Sphagnum
2. Order: - Ambuchananiales e.g. Ambuchanania
3. Class: - Ardreaeopsida
1. Order: - Andreaeales e.g. Andreaea
4. Class: - Andreaeobryopsida
1. Order: - Andreaeobryales e.g. Andreaeobryum
5. Class: - Polytrichopsida
1. Order: - Tetraphidales e.g. Tetraphis, Buxbaumia
2. Order: - Polytrichales e.g. Polytrichum, Dawsonia,
Pogonatum
6. Class: - Bryopsida
1. Subclass: - Diphysciidae
1. Order: - Diphyscidae e.g. Diphyscium
2. Subclass: - Funariidae
1. Order: - Timmiales e.g. Timmia
2. Order: - Encalyptales e.g. Encalypta, Bryobrittonia
3. Order: - Funariales e.g. Funaria, Physcomitrium
3. Subclass: - Dicranidae
1. Order: - Grimmiales e.g. Grimmia
2. Order: - Archidiales e.g. Archidium
3. Order: - Seligeriales e.g. Seligeria
4. Order: - Dicranales e.g. Fissidens, Leucobryum,
Schistostega
5. Order: - Pottiales e.g. Barbula, Tortula
4. Subclass: - Bryidae
1. Super order: - Bryanae

1|P a ge
 1. Order: - Splachnales e.g. Splachnum
2. Order: - Orthotrichales e.g. Orthotricum
3. Order: - Hedwigiales e.g. Hedwigia
4. Order: - Bryales e.g. Bryum
2. Super order: - Rhizogonianae
1. Order: - Rhizogoniales e.g. Spiridens
3. Super order: - Hypnanae
1. Order: - Hookeriales
1. Suborder: - Hookeriineae e.g. Hookeria
2. Suborder: - Ptychomniieae
The mosses differ from liverworts and hornworts in a suite of characters,
including macroscopic features such as a gametophyte composed of stems
with undivided and often costate leaves that are typically arranged all
around the axis, and a sporophyte terminated by a capsule that is elevated
by the elongation of a seta prior to maturity, and whose mouth is lined by
teeth involved in regulating the dispersal of spores.
1. A typical life history of mosses begins with the germination of spores. The
resulting filamentous, uniseriate, branched protonema grows vegetatively
and in most taxa short lived. The protonema are differentiated into two
kinds of filaments, the chloronemata and the caulonemata. The
chloronemata are mainly involved in assimilation and propagation (via
gemmae). The main role of caulonemata is colonization. In a few cases (e.g.
Andreaea, Sphagnum) the protonemata are plate – like rather than
filamentous.
2. Gametophore arises laterally from the caulonemata, and it is these leafy,
gametophytic stems that are most conspicuous in the moss life cycle.
3. The gametophyte and sporophyte of mosses are covered by a surface layer
at least analogous to the cuticle of vascular plants, with compounds similar
to those of cuticular waxes of vascular plants.
4. Stems may be erect, creeping, or pendent, varying from less than 1mm
long in mature plants to well over 1m (e.g. Fontinalis spp.).

2|P a ge
5. Depending upon the orientation and branching of the stems, and the
position of gametangia the mosses are grouped into acrocarps or
pleurocarps.
Acrocarps have stems erect, minimally branched, apical cell used to produce
a terminal gametangium. They grow in tufts (e.g. ).
Mostly terrestrial.
Pleurocarps have creeping stems, growing in mat, the gametangia produced
laterally along the stems. Mostly epiphytes.
6. Moss rhizoids are characterized by being typically branched, and with
diagonal cross walls between the uniseriately arranged cells.
7. Stem epidermis is composed of relatively small, thick- walled cells, but it
is sometimes differentiated as a hyalodermis of enlarged, thin walled cells.
Typically there is a layer of thick-walled cells subtending the epidermis,
providing structural support for the mosses. Internal to this is usually a
layer of thin walled parenchyma cells.

Mosses often have a central strand of cells have conducting function.

Connections between the conducting tissues of stem and that of leaves
occur in some Polytrichales. Hydroids differ from analogous xylem in lacking
lignin. Stems are variously ornamented. For example paraphyllia,
filamentous, foliose, simple of branched structures distributed mostly over
older parts.

3|P a ge
8. In leaf axis, hairs are sometimes present. They are uniseriate structures
apparently physiologically active when the leaves are juvenile and help keep
the expanding leaves from dehydrating by secreting mucilage.
9. Branching may be monopodial (pleurocarps of the northern hemisphere
e.g. Hypnales) or sympodial (all acrocarps and most epiphytic pleurocarps).
10. The apical cell of the stem is typically pyramidal with three cutting faces,
but in a few taxa (e.g. Fissidens, Distichium) it has become lenticular and
two – sided, resulting in distichously arranged leaves. In most taxa
phyllotaxy is spiral. For the most part, leaves vary from lanceolate to ovate.
Unlike in hepatics, moss leaves are almost never deeply divided into
multiple lobes or filaments. The sole exception is Takakia, in which leaves
are divided into three terete filamentous lobes. In some taxa of mosses,
virtually all acrocarps, leaves may be linear; in other mosses leaves may be
orbicular. The leaf insertion is mostly broad, with a wide attachment to the
stem. Almost all mosses leaves are unistratose (Exception Grimmiaceae,
Diphysciaceae). When margin is differentiated it is often referred to as a
limbidium. Most moss leaves have a costa. The areolation of the
Sphagnaceae is unique in mosses. in this group, living chlorophyllose cells
(chlorocyst) form a reticulum that is enclosed by a hyaline, hollow cells
(hyalocysts).
11. Mosses have evolved numerous kinds of asexual reproductive
structures. Most mosses can grow from leaf or stem fragments. Some taxa
have developed specialized morphological strategies to take advantage of leaf
fragmentation. Like many other groups of plants and fungi, some mosses
have developed a splash – cup mechanism from dispersing small gemmae
which at maturity are loose within a cup (e.g. Tetraphis). Some mosses have
evolved specialized gemmae in leaf axials. Small bulbils are sometimes
formed on rhizoids, presumably as perenniating structures.
12. The sex organs of mosses are archegonia and antheridia. The
arrangement of the sex organs may be monoicous (autoicous, synoicous,
paroicous & heteroicous), dioicous. In rare cases gametangia are naked in
axils of vegetative leaves. The archegonia and their subtending leaves are

4|P a ge
referred to as perichaetia. The antheridia and their subtending leaves are
called perigonia. Inter & persed among the antheridia and archegonia are
sterile hairs, referred to as paraphyses.

13. The basal- most part of the sporophyte is the foot, and it is embedded
within the gametophyte. At the interface of the two generations is a transfer
zone. The gametophytic tissue surrounding the foot is referred to as the
vaginula. The seta is the structure which elevates the sporangium, or spore
capsule and grows from an apical meristem. It may be elongated, (Funaria,
Pogonatum) or reduced (e.g. Acaulon, Ephemerium). There is usually a well
developed conducting system within the seta. In a few isolated groups
(Sphagnum & Andreaea) the capsule is held aloft from the perichaetial
leaves by an extension of gametophytic tissue, the pseudopodium. The foot
of the capsule is embedded directly in this structure and there is no seta. In
Sphagnum capsule is elevated at maturity, rather than long before
sporogenesis as in most mosses.
14. A single capsule develops atop the seta. In most mosses, capsules are
stegocarpus (i.e. regularly dehiscent by shedding an operculum or lid), but
in some groups, typically with immersed capsules, the capsules are
cleistocarpous (i.e. without regular dehiscence), and spores are dispersed
only upon decay and rupture of the capsule wall.
15. At the base of most capsules there is a differentiated neck, typically
corresponding to the area below the spore sac within the capsule. Mostly
stomata similar to land plants are located in this region.
16. In most mosses capsules dehisce by the loss of an operculum.
Dehiscence occurs through a week region called annulus. In an isolated
5|P a ge
group of mosses, Andreaea, Andreaobryum, and Takakia, the capsule
dehisces much like in hepatics, by longitudinal slits. In Andreaea there are
typical four (rarely ten), long slits. In Andreaobryum there are four to six,
short irregular slits; and in Takakia there is a single spiral slit.
17. In almost all mosses there is a column of sterile tissue running most of
the length of the capsule. In Sphagnum, Andreaea, and Andreobryum the
columella is short, and the spore sac, rather than being cylindrical is dome –
shaped. Only in Archidium is a columella completely missing.
18. The capsule mouth of most stegocarpous mosses is lined by teeth, which
together form the peristome. Peristome helps in dispersal of spores.
19. When the capsule is young and not fully developed, there is a structure
of gametophytic tissue which encloses it. Near capsule maturity this
structure, the calyptra, falls and free the capsule, allowing dehiscence. The
calyptra is formed from the expanded upper portion of the archegonium.
There are two basic forms of calyptrae, mitrate and cucullate. The mitrate
calyptra is conic and undivided (similar to a bishop's miter) or equally lobed
at the base. A cucullate calyptra is split up one side, and is similar to a
hood, being longer on one side than other.
20. Moss spores are typically single celled, spherical, and about 12 – 15 µm
in diameter. In some cases the spores may be multicellular (e.g.
Dicneomonaceae), typically associated with endosporic germination and
relatively xeric environmental conditions. Some spores are bilaterally
symmetrical or retain tetrad markings. Spore coats are multilayered.

6|P a ge