1

2
PLANTS
Mosses &
liverworts
Vascular Nonvascular
2 Main Types of Plants
1) vascular
2) nonvascular
Also called bryophytes
Nonvascular-
plants that lack tube-like cells
and do not have true roots,
stems, & leaves
3
1) moss-
A small simple nonvascular plant that
has both stems and leavesbut NO
ROOTS
2 Main Types of Nonvascular Plants
Mosses are considered nonvascular and are
grouped with liverworts because:
a) their vascular
(inner) tissue is
very simple
b) they both have
similar life cycles
4
Nonvascular Plants: Moss
fine soft stems
a) Placement of leaves on the stem
b) Shape of leaves
Characteristics of Moss:
grow upright in mats
leaves grow from all sides of the stem
moss species can be classified by their leaves
based on:
leaves are only one or two cells thick
5
Nonvascular Plants: Mosses
4 uses of mosses
1) Food for animals
2) They help hold soil in place to keep it
from washing away
3) Some mosses live on rocks
and break them down
4) Peat moss-
EX: worms & snails eat moss
moss that is added to soil
to increase the amount of
water it holds
6
Nonvascular Plants: Mosses
Moss Life Cycle
Sexual reproduction-
form a new organism by the union of 2
reproductive cells
1) female reproductive cell EGG
2) male reproductive cell SPERM
fertilization
the joining of the egg and the sperm
Both are located at the tips of the mosses
leafy stem
7
Nonvascular Plants: Mosses
Moss Life Cycle
sperm and egg of mosses form at the tips of
the leafy stems
1) fertilization
2) A stalk grows from a fertalized egg
sperm of mosses and liverworts must swim
to the egg for fertilization
3) Brown capsule forms at the end of the
stalk (stem)
4) Brown capsule contains spores
5) Spores are blown away from parent
plantby wind
6) They land and grow into new leafy plants
8
2) liverwort-
A small simple nonvascular plant
that do NOT have roots, stems, or
leaves
2 Main Types of Nonvascular Plants
H2O and other materials are distributed
throughout their bodies by:
a) osmosis
b) diffusion
9
Nonvascular Plants: liverworts
General Characteristics facts about liverworts
1) simplest nonvascular plant
2) flat body
3) slippery layer of
green cells on the
ground
4) leaves grow in 2-3
flattened rows along
the stem
10
What two types of nonvascular plants are shown
on this rock?
1) Moss 2) Liverwort
11
1) List the main types of plants
2) Define nonvascular.
3) Define moss and list 3 of the 5 main
characteristics of mosses.
4) Why are mosses considered nonvascular if they
appear to have a stem and a leaf?
5) List the two ways that moss species are classified.
Directions: Answer the following questions.
Slide Questions Part Two (slides 27-36)
12
7) Explain how mosses reproduce.
8) Define fertilization.
9) Define liverwort. How so they take in water?
10) List two of the four characteristics of liverworts.
Directions: Answer the following questions.
Slide Questions Part Two (slides 27-36)
6) List the 4 uses of moss.