Non-Vascular and Vascular Seedless Plants

Q1: When did seedless plants dominate the terrestrial landscape?

A: About 300 million years ago (Mya) during the Carboniferous period.

Q2: What was created by the decomposition of Carboniferous swampy forests?

A: Large deposits of coal.

Q3: Which phase of the life cycle is dominant in seedless plants?

A: The gametophyte phase.

Q4: Which phase of the life cycle is dominant in vascular seedless plants?

A: The diploid sporophyte phase.

Q5: What are Bryophytes?

A: A group of non

Q6: Where do Bryophytes mostly thrive?

A: In damp areas.

Q7: How many species of Bryophytes are there?

A: About 18,000 species.

Q8: What are the three divisions of Bryophytes?

A: Liverworts, Hornworts, and Mosses.

Q9: How many species of mosses have been catalogued?

A: More than 12,000 species.

Q10: What are rhizoids?

A: Structures that anchor moss and absorb water and nutrients.

Q11: What does a moss grow at the end of its long slender stalk?

A: A capsule.

Q12: What does the moss capsule contain?

A: Spores for reproduction (which can survive unfavorable conditions).

Q13: Where is the capsule located in the moss life cycle?

A: At the top of the diploid sporophyte.

Q14: Why are Liverworts named that way?

A: Their shape is similar to the lobes of the liver.

Q15: How many species of liverworts are there?

A: More than 7,000 species.

Q16: Where are liverworts found growing?

A: As thick crusts on moist rocks or soil along the sides of streams.

Q17: What is a Gemma Cup in liverworts?

A: A structure used for asexual reproduction.

Q18: What is the body of a liverwort called?

A: A thallus.

Q19: What is the defining physical characteristic of a hornwort's sporophyte?

A: It is narrow and pipe

Q20: How many species of hornworts are there?

A: Less than 100 species.

Q21: Where are hornworts usually found?

A: In moist soil or mixed in grass plants.

Q22: What percentage of Earth's vegetation is made up of vascular plants?

A: More than 90%.

Q23: Do vascular plants still depend on water for reproduction?

A: Yes, they still depend on water for reproduction (unlike seed plants).

Q24: What does vascular tissue allow plants to do?

A: Effectively transfer materials and strengthens the plant.

Q25: What are the conducting cells of the xylem called?

A: Tracheids (and vessel elements).

Q26: What are the conducting cells of the phloem called?

A: Sieve elements (and companion cells).

Q27: What does the phloem transport?

A: Sugars, proteins, and other solutes.

Q28: What advantage do true roots provide for vascular plants?

A: Better anchorage and absorption of water and nutrients.

Q29: What advantage do true leaves provide for vascular plants?

A: Enhanced photosynthetic efficiency.

Q30: What are the three modern

day groups of seedless vascular plants?

Q31: Which group is the earliest group of seedless vascular plants?

A: Club mosses (Lycophytes).

Q32: How many species of club mosses are there?

A: Approximately 1,200 species.

Q33: What are strobili?

A: Cone

Q34: What are sporophylls?

A: Modified leaves that bear sporangia (spore

Q35: What are the defining stem characteristics of horsetails?

A: The presence of joints or nodes.

Q36: How do leaves and branches grow on horsetails?

A: They come out as whorls at the joints.

Q37: What shape are horsetail leaves?

A: Needle

Q38: Where does the majority of photosynthesis take place in horsetails?

A: In the green stems.

Q39: What are the underground stems of horsetails called?

A: Rhizomes.

Q40: What is the most popular group of seedless plants known for their large fronds?

A: Ferns.

Q41: How many species of ferns are there?

A: More than 20,000 species.

Q42: Where are ferns mostly found?

A: In moist, shaded places (though some survive dry areas).

Q43: What is the entire fern leaf (blade and stalk) called?

A: The frond.

Q44: What is the stalk within the fern blade called?

A: The rachis (or axis).

Q45: What is a pinna?

A: A primary division or leaflet of the fern blade.

Q46: What is a pinnule?

A: A subleaflet, or a division of the pinna.

Q47: What is a fiddlehead (or crozier)?

A: The tip of a developing fern frond that is rolled up and unrolls as it grows.

Q48: What is the most conspicuous stage of the fern life cycle?

A: The diploid sporophyte stage.

Q49: What are sori (singular: sorus)?

A: Small clusters on the underside of a mature fern frond where the sporangia develop.

Q50: What is the small, heart

shaped fern stage called?

Q51: How does fertilization occur in ferns?

A: Sperm from the antheridia swim through water to reach the egg in the archegonia.

Q52: What is the defining feature of non-vascular plants regarding transport?

A: They lack xylem and phloem, so they rely on diffusion and osmosis.

Q53: How do non-vascular plants compensate for not having true roots?

A: They use rhizoids for anchorage and absorption

Q54: What is the function of the capsule in mosses and liverworts?

A: To produce and release spores for reproduction.

Q55: What are tracheids?

A: Water