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Bryophyta BRYOPHYTES; MOSSES; HORNWORTS; NONVASCULAR PLANTS; LIVERWORTS Life Plantae |
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Hornworts, liverworts, and mosses - commonly referred to as bryophytes -
are considered to be a pivotal group in our understanding of the origin of
land plants because they are believed to be among the earliest diverging
lineages of land plants. Mosses, liverworts and hornworts are found
throughout the world in a variety of habitats, from the harsh environs of
Antarctica to the lush conditions of the tropical rainforests. Bryophytes
are unique among land plants in that they possess an alternation of
generations, which involves a dominant, free-living, haploid gametophyte
alternating with a reduced, generally dependent, diploid sporophyte.
Bryophytes are small, herbaceous plants that grow closely packed together
in mats or cushions on rocks, soil, or as epiphytes on the trunks and
leaves of forest trees. Bryophytes are remarkably diverse for their small
size and are well-adapted to moist habitats and flourish particularly well
in moist, humid forests like the fog forests of the Pacific northwest or
the montane rain forests of the southern hemisphere.
Significance of bryophytes Bryophytes have a significant role in contributing to nutrient cycles, providing seed-beds for the larger plants of the community, and form microhabitats for insects and an entire array of microorganisms. Bryophytes are also very effective rainfall interceptors, and the overwhelming abundance of epiphytic liverworts in "cloud" or "mossy" forest zones is considered an important factor in eliminating the deteriorating effect of heavy rains, including adding to hill stability and helping to prevent soil erosion. The chemical compounds of some liverworts are also particularly interesting because they have important biological activities, for example, against certain cancer cell lines, anti-bacterial properties, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and muscle relaxing activity. Classification Over the last decade, recent advances in DNA sequencing technology and analytical approaches to phylogenetic reconstruction, including the use of ultra-structural, morphological and anatomical data, have enabled unprecedented progress toward our understanding of plant evolution. A growing consensus suggests that the bryophytes possibly represent three separate evolutionary lineages, which are today recognized as mosses (phylum Bryophyta), liverworts (phylum Marchantiophyta) and hornworts (phylum Anthocerotophyta).
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| Acknowledgements | ||||||
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This page written and compiled by: William R Buck New York Botanical Gardens, Bernard Goffinet University of Connecticut, John J Engel The Field Museum, Chicago, Matt von Konrat The Field Museum, Chicago, and John Pickering University of Georgia, Athens. |
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Updated: 2024-09-21 01:00:08 gmt © Designed by The Polistes Corporation |
