This document provides an overview of the phylum Bryophyta, commonly known as mosses. It discusses their general characteristics, including that they are small eukaryotic plants that lack vascular tissues and reproduce using spores. The document describes the three main classes of mosses - Sphagnopsida, Andreaeopsida, and Bryopsida - and provides details on their morphology, life cycles, and habitats. Finally, it covers the economic and ecological importance of mosses, such as their uses for fuel, decoration, and soil conditioning.

1. Stephanie Korvah
Betty Lablah
Antoinette Lincoln
Bob Bumie
Tegeste Kollie
Phylum Bryophyta (Mosses)

2. Lesson Outline
• Phylum Bryophyta overview
• General characteristics of
bryophytes
• Morphology
• Nutrition
• Classification of mosses
• General reproduction in Mosses
• Similarities between mosses and
algae
• Economic importance of mosses
• Ecological importune of mosses

3. Phylum Bryophyta Overview
• Bryophytes comes from the Greek
word “Bryo” meaning “Moss” and
“Phyte” meaning “Plant”
• Eukaryotic plant-like organism
without vascular system
• They consist of 20,000 plant species
• The science dealing with the study of
bryophytes is called Bryologist
Moss
Hornworts
Liverworts

4. Mosses Overview
• Consisting of more than 9,250 species of
mosss
• They require a watery medium to facilitate
the transportation of reproductive cells
• Simple green plants considered as lower
plants
• They include; Andreaeopsida(granite
mosses) Sphagnopsida (peat mosses)
Bryopsida(true mosses)
Granite Mosses
Peat Mosses
True Mosses

5. General Characteristics: Habitat
• Mosses are found in moist
environment
• Boggy are always home for
most mosses
• They can be found on
rocks, ground, and trees.

6. Habitat Cont’d…

7. Typical Mosses Morphology

8. Representation of Moss Gametophyte
and Sporophyte

9. Morphology Cont’d…

10. General Characteristics: Nutrition
• Mosses are non vascular plant
• They live as autotrophs
• They absorb water and nutrient mainly through their leaves though
diffusion
• They harvest carbondioxide and sunlight to create food by
Photosynthesis

11. Classification of Mosses
Mosses are classified into three class:
• Class Sphagnopsia
• Class Andreaeopsida
• Class Bryopsida

12. Class Sphagnopsida
• They consist of 150 species
• They are found on boggy ground
• They have chlorophyllose cells and
hyaline cells
• They consist of the genus sphagnum
known as peat moss
• The gametophyte of the sphagnum
has the pendent and divergentPeat moss

13. Examples of Sphagnum Mosses

14. Class Sphagnopsida: Life Cycle
• The life cycle of peat moss is comprise of two distinct generations, the
gametophyte and the sporophyte
• At the gametophyte stage which is haploid consist of the plant bearing
leaves, synthesizes chlorophyll and is able to sexually reproduce
• By sexual reproduction the gametophyte develops Antheridia and
Archegonia

15. Class Sphagnopsida: Life Cycle

16. Class Sphagnosida: Sporophyte
• The Sporophyte which is diploid consist of a capsule that encloses the
spores
• It is develop form a zygote as a result of sexual reproduction
• Under dry conditions the operculum burst open with an audible sound.
• In the Sporophyte after replication of the genome homologous pairs of
chromosomes come close and cross over their chromatids

17. Vegetative Reproduction: Peat Moss
• A new steam developed from a branch, during peat moss formation
it become separated and grow into an independent plant.
• A plant can also grow from shaded plant fragments
• This can also take place at the Protonema to increase the number of
buds from a single spore.

18. Vegetative Reproduction

19. Class Andreaeopsida
• Andreaeopsida are commonly called
granite mosses
• They consist of 100 species
• They live on rock
• They are usually blackish green to
reddish in color
• They live not only on rock but also on
the snow and ice itself

20. Class Andreaeopsida Cont’d…

21. Class Bryopsida
• Bryopsida are the largest class of moss
• They consist of 9,000 species
• They are also called true moss
• The life cycle of Bryopsida involves a Protonema that is a threadlike
and develop within the archegonium which remain attached to the
gametophyte and produce spores by meiosis

22. General Reproduction In Moss
• Moss under go both sexual, asexual and vegetative reproduction
• Reproduction in moss require water
• The life cycle begins with the haploid spore

23. Moss Life
Cycle

24. Similarities between Mosses and Algae
• They both have chlorophyll a and b
• Chloroplast structures are similar
• They have a thallus body
• They produce starch and contain cellulose

25. Difference between Bryophytes and Algae
• Algae are isogamous whereas mosses are oogamous
• The sex organs of algae are not covered by sterile jacket. In mosses
they are covered by sterile jacket
• Algae has homogenous alternation of generation
• Moses heterogenous

26. Comparative Morphology Among
Bryophytes
Liverworts Mosses Hornworts
Structure Thalloid or foliose Foliose Thalloid
Symmetry Dorsiventral or radial Radial Dorsiventral
Rhizoid Unicellular Multicellular Unicellular
Chloroplast/Cell Many Many One
Protonemata Reduced Present Absent
Gametangia Superficial Superficial Immersed

27. Economic Importance of Mosses
They are use for:
• Fuel
• Decoration
• Dressing of wounds

29. Ecological Importance of Mosses
They are use for:
• Soil Conditioning
• Primary Producer
• Garden

30. Garden

31. In Conclusion:
• Eukaryotic plant-like organism without vascular system
• Consisting of more than 9,250 species of mosss
• They require a watery medium to facilitate the transportation of
reproductive cells
• They live as autotrophs
• Three classes: They include; Andreaeopsida(granite mosses)
Sphagnopsida (peat mosses) Bryopsida(true mosses)
• Mosses are found in moist environment

32. Reference
• Introduction In Botany, Nabors, Murray W., Copyright 2004
Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings, 1301
Sansome St., San Francisco, CA 94111. www.aw-bc.com
• WIKIPEDIA, The Free Encyclopedia

33. Thanks For Your Time
Questions
Comments

34. THE END
• “Whenever you are about to find fault with someone ask
yourself the following question:
What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am
about to criticize?”
Marcus Aurelius