Question

What are bryophytes? List their characteristic features.​

Answer 1

General Characteristics of Bryophytes:

• Plants occur in damp and shaded areas.
• The plant body is thallus like, i.e. prostrate or erect.
• It is attached to the substratum by rhizoids, which are unicellular or multicellular.
• They lack true vegetative structure and have a root-like, stem-like and leaf-like structure.

Answer 2

Bryophytes as a group of plants that are the closest extant relative of early terrestrial plant.

Features of bryophytes are:

• Their life cycles are dominated by a multicellular gametophyte stage.
• Their sporophytes are unbranched.
• They do not have a true vascular tissue containing lignin (although some have specialized tissues for the transport of water .