Bryophyta: Nonvascular Plants
Lycophyta, Sphenophyta, Pterophyta:
Seedless Vascular Plants
Gymnosperms: Coniferophyta

• Earth’s atmosphere was originally oxygen free
• Ultraviolet radiation bombarded the surface
• Photosynthetic cells produced oxygen and allowed formation of a protective ozone layer

• Cyanobacteria were probably the first to spread into and up freshwater streams
• Later, green algae and fungi made the journey together
• Every plant is descended from species of green algae

• Nearly all are multicelled
• Vast majority are photoautotrophs
– Energy from sun
– Carbon dioxide from air
– Minerals dissolved in water

green algae zygophytes, related groups charophytes bryophytes lycophytes horsetails ferns cycads ginkgos conifers gnetophytes flowering plants seed plants euphyllophytes embryophytes (land plants) vascular plants
(closely related groups)
Figure 23.3
Page 387

• Bryophytes
• Fewer than 19,000 species
• Three groups
Liverworts
Hornworts
Mosses

• Majority of plants
• Have internal tissues that carry water and solutes
• Two groups
– Seedless vascular plants
– Seed-bearing vascular plants

• Arose during the Devonian
• Produce spores but no seeds
• Four main groups
Whisk ferns
Lycophytes
Horsetails
Ferns

• Gymnosperms arose first
– Cycads
– Ginkgos
– Gnetophytes
– Conifers
• Angiosperms arose later
– Monocots
– Dicots

zygote
GREEN ALGA BRYOPHYTE FERN GYMNOSPERM ANGIOSPERM

• Root systems
• Shoot systems
• Vascular tissues
• Waxy cuticle

• Pollen grains
– Arise from megaspores
– Develop into male gametophytes
– Can be transported without water
• Seeds
– Embryo sporophyte inside nutritive tissues and a protective coat
– Can withstand hostile conditions

• Small, nonvascular, nonwooody
• Gametophyte dominates life cycle; has leaflike, stemlike, and rootlike parts
• Usually live in wet habitats
• Flagellated sperm require water to reach eggs

zygote
Fertilization
Zygote grows, develops into a sporophyte while still attached to gametophyte.
mature sporophyte
Diploid Stage
Haploid Stage
Meiosis
Figure 23.5
Page 388 spermproducing structure eggproducing structure
Spores germinate.
male gametophyte female gametophyte

The gametophyte of mosses consists of a leafy shoot that is anchored to the substrate by branched multicellular rhizoids.
http://www.science.siu.edu/landplants/Bryophyta/MossDesc.html

Leaf arrangement is normally spiralled .

The initial stage of gametophyte development, resulting from germination of the spore ,

is a filamentous branched structure known as the protonema .

Moss, highly branched with sporophytes terminating lateral branches.

Antheridia are equally elongated with a long narrow stalk

General morphology are seen in Sphagnum

Sporophyte

Habit shot of female shoots with terminal sporophytes and male shoots with clusters of orange antheridia surrounded by leaves. Copyright by Alan Heilman
(Univ. Tenn.).

Close-up of gametophyte with orange antheridia
(right) and sporophyte (left).

Do not post on
Internet
• Reproduces asexually by gemmae
• Gametophytes are male or female
Female gametophyte
Figure 23.7
Page 389

Lycophytes (Lycophyta)
Whisk ferns (Psilophyta)
Horsetails (Sphenophyta)
Ferns (Pterophyta)

• 12,000 species, mostly tropical
• Most common sporophyte structure
– Perennial underground stem (rhizome)
– Roots and fronds arise from rhizome
– Young fronds are coiled “fiddleheads”
– Mature fronds divided into leaflets
– Spores form on lower surface of some fronds

Pattern of uncoiling “fiddle heads”.

young “Fronds”

Sporophyte still attached to gametophyte zygote fertilization egg rhizome
Diploid Stage
Haploid Stage meiosis
Spores develop sorus
Spores are released sperm mature gametophyte Spore germinates

On the back (abaxial) side of the frond occur the spore-producing structures called sori
(singular sorus ).

The sori are covered by a thin structure called an indusium.

Male (left)  Bisexual (Right)
Prothallus (gametophyte)

On the underside (ventral) of the prothallus, archegonia are frequently clustered around the apical notch as evidenced by the protruding archegonial necks seen in this SEM photo (by Joan
Nester-Hudson).

Biflagellated sperm

At the moment of fertilization, the nuclei of sperm and egg fuse and a diploid zygote is formed. This begins the sporophytic generation again. The zygote divides mitotically to form and embryo and eventually a tiny sporophytic plant. These can often be seen still attached to the notch area of the prothallus .

The sporophyte is relatively simple with dichotomously to pseudomonopodally branched green stems and spirally arranged microphylls (simple leaves with single veins).

Typically, the shoot system is separated into upright aerial shoots and morphologically distinct creeping rhizomes from which adventitious roots arise.

Sporangia are positioned on the adaxial side of specialized leaves that in turn are arranged in zones along the stem or in a terminal series, known as strobili

The sporophyte of Equisetum is differentiated into an underground rhizome that bears adventitious roots and an upright, photosynthetic stem with whorls of microphylls. The stem is jointed, i.e., the nodes are clearly defined by whorls of leaves.

Species in the subgenus Equisetum produce abundant branches that arise in whorls at the nodes.

The eusporangia of
Equisetum are aggregated in terminal branched units known as strobili .

Strobili

Thousands of rounded spores are produced in each sporangium

Antheridia and biflagellated spermatozoids

Cluster of microsporangiate strobili of Pinus resinosa

Longitudinal section through a microsporangiate cone of pine consisting of microsporophylls spirally arranged around the central axis bearing microsporophylls.

Male gametophyte: pollen grain

Cross section of a pine needle