Affinities of bryophytes

Bryophytes show resemblance with both the algae and pteridophytes. This group is kept in between the two.

Similarities with Algae

Main plant body simple and thalloid.
Cellulose is the chief content of the cell wall.
Gametophytic phase is dominant over sporophytic phase.
Roots in true sense are altogether absent.
Vascular tissue is altogether absent.
Male gametes (antherozoids) are motile and biflagellated.
Fertilization takes place in water.
Protonema of mosses is similar in resemblance with the filaments if green algae.
In the member of Anthocerotales, chloroplasts contain pyrenoids, which is also found in the member of Chlorophyceae.

Algae	Bryophytes
Mostly grow in aquatic habitat	Mostly grow in terrestrial habitat
Plant body is unicellular or multicellular	Always multicellular
There is no division of labor	Division of labor is present. Thallus is divided into photosynthetic and storage zone.
Only one or few chloroplasts are present in each cell.	But for Anthocerotales, many chloroplasts are present in single cell
Growth and reproduction take place by all cell	Grow and reproduction is restricted to the apical cells only
Stomata are absent	Stomata are present
Rhizoids are usually absent	Smooth walled and tuberculate rhizoids are present
Asexual reproduction is very common	Asexual reproduction is altogether absent
Sexual reproduction is of isogamous, anisogamous or oogamous type	Sexual reproduction is of oogamous type
Sex organs are usually unicellular	Sex organs are always multicellular
Sex organs are naked	Sex organs are always protected by layers of sterile cells
Oogonium is female sex organ	Archegonium is the female sex organ
Zygote do not form embryo	Zygote develop into embryo (hence kept under embryophyta)
Gametophytic and sporophytic phases are independent	Sporophyte is semi-parasite on gametophyte

Both the groups show terrestrial (land) habitat.
Both exhibit gametophytic and sporophytic phases.
Heteromorphic alternation of generation is present in both the groups.
Rhizoids of Bryophytes are similar with the rhizoids of Rhynia and Psilotum.
Both groups have pores (stomata) for the exchange of gases.
Asexual spores are absent in both the groups.
Sexual reproduction is of oogamous type.
Sex organ are multicellular and covered in sterile jacket.
Male sex organ is antheridia and female sex organ is archegonia.
Male gametes (antherozoids) are motile and flagellated.
Female gamete (egg cell) is non-motile
Neck-canal cells as well venter-canal cell are present in the archegonium.
Water is essential for firtilization
After fertilization embryo develops in both groups (hence kept under embryophyta)

Bryophytes	Pteridophytes
Sporophyte is dependent upon gametophyte	Both the sporophyte and gametophyte are independent
Gametophytic phase is dominant	Sporophytic phase is dominant
Vascular tissues are lacking	Xylem and pholem tissues are present
Main plant body is less-differentiated	Main plant body is well-differentiated into root, stem and leaves
Rhizoids are present	True roots are present
Leaves, if present are microphylls and without leaf gap	Leaves are microphylls as well as macrophylls and with leaf gaps
Antheridium is stalked	Antheridium is sessile
Elaters are present	Elaters are absent
Spores are homosporous	Spores as homosporous as well as heterosporous

First published on 13-04-2021
Last updated on 01-05-2021

See also