This document provides an overview of the morphology, anatomy, and reproduction of Marchantia. It describes key characteristics of the Marchantia gametophyte including its thallus structure, rhizoids, gemma cups, and sex organs. The anatomy includes details on the epidermis, air chambers, photosynthetic and storage regions. Reproduction occurs vegetatively through thallus decay/gemmae or sexually with antheridiophores and archegoniophores on separate plants. Archegonium structure and the sporophyte regions of foot, seta, and capsule are also summarized along with references.

1. Marchantia – Morphology, anatomy and
reproduction
Sankrita Gaonkar
Assistant Professor in Botany
sankrita002@gmail.com

2. Contents
• Classification of Marchantia
• Morphology, anatomy and reproductive characters of
Marchantia
• References

3. Marchantia
Classification:
• Class: Hepaticopsida
• Order: Marchantiales
• Family: Marchantiaceae
• Genus: Marchantia

4. Gametophyte:
Morphology:
• Thallus – prostrate, dichotomously branched and
dorsiventral
• Dorsal surface – rhomboidal or polygonal area are found
• Each small area has small pore at centre
• Thallus – 2 to 10 cm
• Midrib – groove on ventral surface
• Rhizoids – smooth-walled and tuberculate
• Gemma cups – dorsal surface – gemmae (vegetative
bodies)
• Antheridiophores (male) and archegoniophores (female) –
reproductive structures – on different thalli
• Strictly dioecious - heterothalli

6. Anatomy:
• Upper surface – single layered epidermis – less number of
chloroplast
• Air-pores – on upper epidermis
• Photosynthetic region
• Air chambers – beneath upper epidermis
• Partition wall – separates air chambers
• Photosynthetic filaments – in air chambers
• Storage region:
• Storage tissue – parenchyma cells – contain starch
• Oil and mucilage cells are present

7. Reproduction:
vegetative and sexual
• Vegetative reproduction:
• i) by death and decay of older parts of thallus – decay below dichotomy and
apices separate
• ii) adventitious branches – ventral surface of thallus
• iii) gemmae – in gemma cup

8. Sexual reproduction:
Antheridiophore
• Receptacle – disc on stalk – male and
female sex organs
• Male receptacle – flat and lobed
• Convex at upper face
• Air pores present on upper epidermis
• Flask-like cavities in air chambers
• Ostioles – opening of antheridial
cavity
• Antheridium – short stalk, single
layered jacket, androcytes
• Antherozoid – elongated,
uninucleate, biflagellate
• Dehiscence – in presence of water

9. Archegoniophore
• Consists of a stalk bearing lobed disc
• It is 8 lobed structure
• Growing spices bend downwards
and inwards towards stalk
• Rays – cylindrical structures from
margin of disc – give stellate form to
female receptacle
• Oldest archegonia towards disc
periphery and youngest towards stalk
• Perichaetium – plate-like tissue on
either sides of archegonial groups

10. Archegonium structure
• Flask-shaped
• Elongate neck and bulbous venter
• Neck – jacket cells – 6 vertical rows
• Neck canal cells – 4 or more
• Venter – single jacket layer – large
egg and venter canal cells
• Cover cells – top of neck
• Perigynium (pseudoperianth) –
collar-like structure at base of venter
– formed after fertilization
• Dehiscence –presence of moisture
Venter

11. Sporophyte
• 3 regions: foot, seta and capsule
• Foot – bulbous, absorptive structure at
base
• Seta – elongated – connects foot and
capsule
• Capsule – oval, single layered jacket
• Within jacket layer – spores and
sterile elaters (helps in spore
dehiscence)
• Spore dispersal – capsule mature and
come out of 3 layers (calyptra,
perigynium and perichaetium) with
the help of seta

12. References
• Vashishta BR. 2010. Botany for degree students: Bryophytes.
S. Chand & company ltd.
• Pandey B.P. (2009). Botany for degree students: B.Sc. First
Year. S. Chand & Company Ltd. New Delhi.