Classification of Bryophyta as proposed by G.M.Smith

1. Bryophyta Classification
(As Proposed by G M SMITH)
Dr. Kavita Rambal
H.O.D Botany
M.D.College, Parel
Mumbai-12

2. Bryophyta
Hepaticeae
Anthocerota
e
Musci
Sphaerocarpales
Marchantiales
Jungermanniales
Calobryales
Anthocerotales
Division
Class
Sub class
Sphagnobrya Eubrya
Andreobrya
Orders
Sphagnales Andreaeles
Eubryales
(Polytrichales
Funariales)
?

3. Derived from Latin word Hepatica means liver, thus the
Hepaticeae are popularly known as liverworts.
The vegetative thallus i.e, gametophyte is usually dorsiventral
and is either a thallus (thallose) or a leafy axis (foliose), when
foliose the leaves are without mid-rib. Rhizoids without septa.
Each cell in the thallus contains many chloroplasts; the
chloroplasts are without pyrenoid.
Anatomically, the gametophyte is either simple or composed of
many tissues. A photosynthetic tissues on the dorsal surface of
gametophyte is always present and the cells forming it have
numerous small chloroplast, without pyrenoids.

4. Sex organs are embedded in the dorsal surface, sex organs
usually formed from a single superficial cell.
 Sporophyte may be simple (e.g., Riccia) having only a capsule,
or differentiated into root, seta and capsule (e.g., Marchantia,
Pellia and Porella etc.) Capsule lacks columella.
The spores, on germination, usually directly or in some cases
indirectly give rise to gametophytic thalli.

5. Source:Google Images

6. Hepaticeae
Sphaerocarpales Calobryales
Jungermanniales
Marchantiales
Sphaerocarpaceae
Rielliaceae
Ricciaceae
Corsiniaceae
Targionaceae
Monocleaceae
Marchantiaceae
Metzgerineae
Jungermaninae Haplomitriaceae
or
Calobryceae
Orders
Sub order
Family

7. Sphaerocarpales
• Essentially lobate thallus.
• Thallus of parenchyma cells reclining or
erect, with smooth-walled rhizoids;
• Each sex organ surrounded by an
enveloping sac.
• Sporophyte spherical, lacking seta and
elaters, opening by disintegration of the
unornamented jacket cells; terrestrial
except the aquatic Riella.
sphaerocarpos sps
Source:Google Images

8. • Gametophyte thallus usually prostrate, dorsi
ventral dichotomously branched thallus with a more
or less marked midrib.
• Internal tissues are differentiated into two distinct
regions - the dorsal and the ventral region.
• The dorsal, green region is assimilatory zone which
generally encloses air spaces also called the air
chambers. The air chambers communicate with the
exterior generally through pores.
• The ventral region is composed of compact,
colourless, parenchymatous storage tissue.
• Scales are usually present on the ventral surface of
the thallus.
Marchantiales
Marchantia sps
Source:Google Images

9. • The ventral surface of the thallus bears
scales and two kinds of rhizoids - smooth
walled and tuberculate.
• The male & female sex organs are either
scattered along the midrib or grouped in
receptacles which are sometimes raised
into the air.
• The sporogonium is simple in structure
and small, either with or without seta. It
has capsule wall one cell in thickness.
Columella is absent.
• The capsule dehisces by various ways but
never by four regular valves.
Targionia sps
Reboulia sps
Source:Google Images

10. Marchantiales
Ricciaceae Corsiniaceae Monocleaceae Marchantiaceae
Targionaceae
Riccia sps
Corsinia Targionia Monoclea Marchantia

11. • Commonly called Leafy liverworts also called scale moss.
• The Jungermanniales have the plant body more complex than that of
the Marchantiales.
• The sporophytes have multi-layered capsule walls and a general
structure which is also more elaborate than that of the Marchantiales.
• Simpler with thallose or simple foliose, prostrate gametophytes and
apical growth .
• The stem generally has three rows of leaves along its length.
• one of these rows is much reduced in size and often have a distinctly
different shape and are called amphigastria.
Jungermanniales

12. • The mature gametophyte of the leafy liverwort can be either
dioecious (each individual bears either male or female
reproductive structures) or monoecious (each individual bears both
male and female reproductive structures).
• The fertilized egg eventually develops into the sporophyte, which
remains dependent on the gametophyte for water and nutrients.
• The sporophyte’s spore-containing capsule (sporangium) is
usually attached to the gametophyte by an elongate seta.
• The sporangium ruptures and releases spores, which germinate,
ultimately into the gametophyte.
• The gametophyte remains attached to the substratum by way of
filamentous rhizoids(Smooth).
Jungermanniales

13. Jungermanniales
Metzgerineae Jungermaninae
Sub Order
Riccardia
Fossombronia
Metzgeria
Blasia
Pleurozia
Chiloscyphus
Plagiochila
Cephalozia
Porella
Frullania

14. Calobryales
•Erect leafy gametophytes, leaves all alike.
•Antheridia are ovoid, stalked and apical.
•Archegonia differ from those of other Hepaticeae in that
the jacket of the neck has only four vertical rows of cells.
•The sporophyte has an elongated capsule whose jacket
layer is only one cell in thickness except at the apex.

15. Calobryales
Haplomitriaceae
Or
calobryceae
Haplomitrium
Calobryum

16. Anthocerotae
Gametophytic plant body is simple, thalloid; thallus
dorsiventral without air cambers, shows no internal
differentiation of tissues.
 Scales are absent in the thallus.
 Each cell of the thallus possesses a single large
chloroplast with a pyrenoid.
Antheridia develop from hypodermal cells on the dorsal
surface.
Archegonia completely embedded in gametophyte.

17. Anthocerotae
 Sporophyte is cylindrical only partly dependent upon
gametophyte for its nourishment. It is differentiated into
bulbous foot and cylindrical capsule. Seta absent
meristematic.
 Endothecium forms the sterile central column (i.e.,
columella) in the capsule (i.e. columella is present).

18. Source:Google Images

19. Anthocerotales
•Gametophyte simple and dorsiventral.
•V.S thallus homogenous.
•Sporophyte differentiated into foot and capsule, seta
absent.
•Columella present in the capsule.

20. Anthocerotales
Anthocerotaceae Notothylaceae
Anthoceros Notothylas

21. • Gametophyte is differentiated into prostrate protonema
and an erect gametophores.
•Gametophore is foliose, differentiated into an axis (=stem)
and lateral appendages like leaves but without midrib.
•Rhizoids multi-cellular with oblique septa.
• Elaters are absent in the capsule of sporangium.
•The sex organs are produced in separate branches
immersed in a group of leaves.
Musci

22. Source:Google Images

23. Musci
Sphagnobrya Eubrya
Andreaeobrya
Sub class
Sphagnales Andreaeles Eubryales
Sphagnum Eubrya
Andreaea

24. Sphagnobrya
•They are called ‘bog mosses’ or ‘peat mosses’.
• The protonema is broad and thallose; It produces one
gametophore; the leaves or gametophores lack mid-rib
and usually composed of two types of cells-
(i) the narrow living green cells and
(ii) large hyaline dead cells.
• The branches arise in lateral clusters in the axis of the
leaves borne on the stem.

25. •The antheridia are borne in the axis of leaves on the
antheridial branch.
•The archegonia are terminal and formed acrogenously.
• The Sporogenous tissue of a sporophyte develops
from the amphithecium.
•The sporogonium remains elevated above the
gametophyte due to elongation of a stalk of
gametophytic tissue, the pseudopodium.
Sphagnobrya

26. •The plant body arises from the protonema.
• The midrib is not well developed in the leaves.
• Archesporium develops from amphithecium.
• The sporophyte is lifted up on the gametophyte by
pseudopodium.
•The sporophyte consists of foot and capsule.
•The columella forms a roof over the spore sac.
• The capsule dehisces by the separation of lid.
Sphagnales

27. •The gametophores are brittle, and can easily be
broken.
• There is practically no tissue differentiation in
plant body.
• The leaves are generally large, erect and
convolute.
• The archesporium and columella develop from the
endothecium.
Andreobrya

28. •The protonema is ribbon or thallus shaped.
• Pseudopodium is well developed.
•The columella forms a roof over the spore sacs.
•The capsule dehisces by separation of lid.
•Lack of central conducting region in stem.
Andreaeles

29. •Plant body has leafy gametophore and dark brown or
blackish in colour.
•Seta is insignificant.
•Elevation of capsule with the help of pseudopodium.
•Dome shaped spore sac over columella.
•Longitudinal dehiscence of the capsule into four or more
valves.
Andreaeles

30. • The leaves of the gametophores are more than one cell in
thickness and possess midrib on them.
• 2. The protonema are filamentous.
• 3. The sporophyte bears a well differentiated, elongated seta
which pushes out the capsule from the gametophore.
• 4. The Sporogenous tissue is derived from the endothecium.
• 5. The archesporium does not overarch the columella; the
columella continues up to the apex of the capsule; both
columella and archesporium have been derived from the
endothecium.
Eubrya

31. •6. In between spore sac and columella, the partitioned
air spaces are present.
•7. The mature capsule possesses the complex structure
made of many tissues.
•8. The capsule opens at its apex by an operculum; the
spore dispersal is regulated by a teeth like apparatus,
the peristome.
Eubrya

32. •Gametophores differentiated into
a. Prostrate Protonema
b. Upright gametophore
•Gametophores branched or unbranched.
•Gametophore differentiated into stem and leaves.
•Vegetative reproduction by means of gemmae,
primary protonema, secondary protonema etc.
Eubryales

33. • Young embryo differ from other bryophytes (two growing points).
• It is slender.
• Well developed Foot, seta and capsule.
• Upper part of the capsule matures into operculum and peristome.
• Number of teeth comprising the peristome is always four or a
multiple .
• Spore germinates to form protonema.
• Protonema differentiated into
a.chloronema or chloronemal branches
b.rhizoids or rhizoidal branches
Eubryales

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