REPRODUCTION IN BRYOPHYTES

REPRODUCTION IN BRYOPHYTES
• The most common method of multiplication in
bryophytes is vegetative propagation.
• In most of the dioecious species, sexual
reproduction is almost inhibited and the
propagation of the species is obviously taking
place by vegetative means.
• Certain bryophytes, such as Bryum reproduces
exclusively by vegetative method, but most of
the bryophytes reproduce by sexual and
vegetative methods.
VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION
• By Fragmentation or progressive death and
decay of the older parts of the thallus and
consequent separation of the younger parts at
the point of dichotomy of the thallus .
• Riccia, Marchantia and Anthoceros.
By tubers:
• Many bryophytes reproduce vegetatively by
means of tubers.
• The tubers are common on the margin of the
thalli or Riccia discolor and Anthoceros halli.
• The tubers germinate into new thalli on the
approach of favourable conditions
By Gemmae
• Gemmae are special propagative organ with definite
form.
• They are of different shapes, stalked or sessile and may
develop on different parts of the parent plant.
• Many gemmae are found in each gemmae cup. On being
detached from the cup, each gemma gives rise to a plant.
By the formation of Adventitious branches:
• In some thalloid liverworts and hornworts adventitious
branches develop usually from the underside of the
midrib of the thallus.
• These adventitious branches on detachment from the
parent plants develop into independent plant
• Riccia fluitans, Marchantia, Targiona).
• By formation of Innovations:
• The formation of innovations is frequently noticed in
Sphagnum.
• In this case, one of the divergent branches in each node
develops more strongly and becomes dominant and erect
like the main axis and is called innovation.
• During humification process innovation is separated from
the main axis due to the progressive death and decay of the
lower basal parts of the main axis and eventually establishes
as an independent plant body.
By protonema:
• The green, filamentous protonema which develops from the
germination of spore is known as primary protonema.
• The primary protonema may break into small pieces – either
accidentally or due to the death of some cells in between. Each of
these fragments bearing buds is capable of forming a new plant (e.g
Funaria).
• The protonema thad develops from any parts of the plant other than
the spores are called secondary protonema. They may develop from
the rhizoids of gametophores (e.g Funaria sp) or from leafy
gametophores (Sphagnum).
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
• Bryophytes show a marked advance over the
thallophytes in the method of sexual reproduction.
Without exception it is highly oogamous in the whole
group.
• The bryophytes, on the other hand, have multicellular,
jacketed sex organ. Each sex organ consists of an outer,
protective wall of sterile cells surrounding the cell or
groups of cells which produce the gametes.
• The male sex organ is called the antheridium. The
female, however, is known as the archegonium.
• Both kinds of sex organ may be developed on the same
individual or on distinct plants. The former are called
monoecious and the latter Dioecious.
Antheridium
• The antheridium is multicellular
object ellipsoidal or club shaped
sometimes spherical in form.
• It is borne on a short stalk which
attaches it to the gametophyte tissue.
The body of the antheridium has a
wall of a single layer of sterile cells.
• It surrounds a mass of small squarish
or cubical cells called the androcytes,
the latter produce the biflagellate
male gametes called the sperms.
Several sperms are produced in each
antheridium.
• They are motile structure. Each
sperm usually consists of a minute,
slender, spirally curved body
furnished with long, terminal,
Archegonium
• The female sex organ of the bryophyte
is a remarkable structure. It is called the
archegonium. It appears for the first
time in the liverwort and mosses and
continues in the pteridophytes.
• The arghegonium is a flask shaped
organ. The slender, elongated upper
portion is called the neck and the lower
sac like, swollen portion, the venter.
• The neck has a wall of a single layer of
sterile cells which surrounds a central
row of elongated naked cells called the
neck canal cells.
• The venter walls enclose two cells. They
are the larger egg cell or the ovum and
the smaller ventral canal cell just above
it.
• Fertilization occurs when the sex organs are mature. Moisture is
essential for the maturing of the sex organs and also for the
movements of sperms to the archegonia.
• The mature antheridium ruptures at its apex liberating the
sperms. At the same time the axial row of neck canal cell
including the ventral canal cell in the mature archegonium
disorganize. The tips of the archegonium also open. A narrow
canal opening to the exterior is formed.
• The liberated sperms swimming in a thin film of water reach the
archegonia. They enter through the open necks and swim down
the canal of the archegonia.
• Reaching the venter on of them, probably the first one to reach
there, penetrates the ovum. It fuses with the nucleus of the
ovum to accomplish fertilization.
• With the act of fertilization the gametophyte generation ends
and the sporophyte generation starts. The gametes (sperms and