MOSSES AND FERNS
WHAT DO MOSS AND FERNS HAVE IN COMMON?
Both do not produce seeds
 Both are considered “simple” plants
 Both produce “spores” at some point in their
life cycle
 Both are relatively small (not tree sized)

BRYOPHYTA (NON VASCULAR)
This group includes the mosses and the
liverworts
 Has two life stages (gametophyte and
sporophyte) [most of life spent in gametophyte]
 Instead of roots has something called
“rhizoids”

LOOK AT THE MOSS LIFE CYCLE ON PAGE 259
DO THE ACTIVITY: “MOSS LIFE CYCLE”
TRACHEOPHYTA (VASCULAR)
GROUP 1: THE SEEDLESS
 This group is the ferns
 They have a vascular system that transports
water throughout their “bodies”
 They also have two stages to their life cycle:
(gametophyte and sporophyte)
[Most of life spent in sporophyte]
FERNS: SPOROPHYTE CHARACTERISTICS
Leaves, (or fronds) divided into leaflets
 Arranged around a midrib known as a rachis
 Spores are produced in clusters known as sori
on the underside of the leaf

FERNS: GAMETOPHYTE CHARACTERISTICS
Known as a prothallus
 It is a small, green, heart shaped plant
 It has a short life span
