Classification (Systematic position) -

Kingdom : Plantae - (Chorophyll is present)

Subking. : Cryptogams - (Non flowering plant)
Division : Bryophyta-
riccia

(True roots & true vascular tissues ab.)

Class : Hepaticopsida - (Gametophyte is
dorsiventrally flattened thalloid)
Order : Marchantiales - (Thallus
dichotomously branched, scales present)
Family : Ricciaceae - (Air pores simple, sex
organs develop in the mid dorsal
groove. Sporophyte is in the form of
capsule) 1
 Occurrence-
1. The genus Riccia comprises about 138 species.
2. About 33 species have been recorded so far R.
crystallina, R. kashyapii, R. pandel are endemic
in India.
3. Riccia mainly grows on damp soil and shady
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places and other similar terrestrial habitats.

4. Due to dichotomous branching a circular patch
of plants is formed which is called rosette.
5. Plant body represents haploid, the gametophyte
generation. R. fluitans, the aquatic species, is
partially submerged or it floats in water.

2
Thallus Structure
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 External Morphology of thallus –
1. gametophyte - flat, fleshy, green thalloidal body
- growing prostrate on moist ground.
2. Dichotomously branched, and branches are
known as lobes.
3. Thallus - thick in the middle and it gradually
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thins or tapers towards the margin.

4. Thick region - midrib and extends throughout
the length of the thallus.
5. Each thallus lobe terminates into an apical
notch or depression in which less the growing
point of the thallus.
6. The thallus is attached to the substratum by
means of rhizoids on the lower surface.

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 External Morphology of thallus:
7. Rhizoids are unicellular and
unbranched.
8. Two types of rhizoids, -
smooth walled and
tuberculated.
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9. rhizoids - fixation and

absorption.
10. The scales in young plants
are arranged in one
transverse row near the
apex.
[Link] the thallus matures,
they form two rows near
the margin of the thallus.
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 Internal structure of thallus –
1. A vertical section of thallus shows an outline
with a depression in the centre termed as the
dorsal groove.
2. The externally simple thallus shows a slight
internal differentiation.
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3. The thallus is formed of two distinct regions,

viz.
a. the lower or ventral storage region and
b. an upper or dorsal photosynthetic or
assimilatory region

7
 Storage region–
1. present on the ventral surface - formed of
closely packed parenchymatous tissue (no
intercellular spaces)
2. The chloroplasts are absent in this region.
3. The region acts as storage tissue, storing water
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and reserved food material (starch).

4. From the lower epidermal cells, develop rhizoids
and amphigastria.
5. The rhizoids help in absorption while the
amphigastria give protection to the plant and
retain water.

9
 Photosynthetic region–
1. It is present on the dorsal surface of the thallus.
2. It consists of chlorenchymatous cells arranged in
vertical rows of one cell thickness.
3. The rows of chlorenchymatous cells are called
photosynthetic filaments.
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4. Between the chlorenchymatous rows - air

chambers, air-canals are air-clefts.
5. The air chamber lacks photosynthetic filaments.
6. The air cleft is surrounded by six to eight
vertical rows of chlorenchymatous cells.
7. The outermost or the terminating cell of each
row is slightly bigger and colourless.

10
 Photosynthetic region–
8. These terminal cells together form an
interrupted upper epidermis.
9. The air-cleft communicate with the outer
environment through the gaps in the upper
epidermis called air-pores.
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10. In the case of the aquatic species, the

epidermis is continuous and air-pores are
absent.
11. The thallus shows large air-cavities which store
air and give buoyancy to the plant.
12. The epidermal cells also show presence of
chloroplasts.

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 Reproduction–
A. Vegetative
1. Fragmentation – Due to death and decay the
older dichotomy separate - favourable
conditions, - new thallus.
2. Adventitious branches – arise from the mid-
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ventral surface of the thallus - detached - new

plants.
3. Tubers - The tips of branches store food
material and become swollen - tubers. In
favourable - new plants.
4. Persistent apices – prolonged dry conditions,
the plant dies except the apical part. This apical
part however grows deep into soil and becomes
thick. It resumes active growth in next season
and develops into a new thallus.
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 Reproduction–
A. Vegetative
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 Reproduction– B. Sexual:
1. Sexual reproduction in Riccia is oogamous.
2. The sex organs are well developed, multicellular
and separate.
3. The male reproductive organ is called the
antheridium and the gametes, the antherozoid.
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4. The female reproductive organ is called the

archegonium and the gamete the ovum.
5. Both the sex organs - on the same plant-
monoecious.
6. on different plants- dioecious or unisexual.
7. The sex organs are formed on the dorsal surface
and are deeply sunk in the mid-furrow of the
thallus.
14
 Reproduction–
B. Sexual:
8. Though formed on the dorsal surface, they are
enclosed in cavities because of the vigorous
growth of the neighboring vegetative cells.
9. The sex organs are formed in acropetal
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succession.
10. A self-fertilization is avoided in monoecious
species due to the different maturation periods
of the sex organs (prodandrous).

15
 Riccia – Sexual Reproduction
 Thallus represents gametophyte reproducing sexually by means of
gemetes
 Sexual reproduction - Oogamous.
◦ Antheridia – Male gametangia
◦ Archegonia – Female gametangia
 Species are
◦ Monoecious or homothallic
◦ Dioecious or heterothallic
 Sex organs remain enclosed with in the antheridial and
archegonial chambers
 Anth/Arch develop on the dorsal surface of the thallus
 Sex organs develop in acropetal succession (i.e., mature sex organs
are present at the posterior end, the young ones towards the apex of
the thallus).
 In monoecious species alternate groups of antheridia and archegonia
develop at a sufficient distance from the growing point
 Both the sex organs produced from single superficial cell
 Riccia – Sexual Reproduction
Structure of Anthredium
 Mature anthredium has Short stalk (4
rows of cell)
 At its tip stalk bears a globular or club
shaped body
 Anthredium has single layer of jacket cell
 Jacket cells encloses large no. of
Androcyte Mother Cells (sperm mother
cell)
 Androcyte Mother Cells divide
diagonally giving 2 androcyte
 Each androcyte metamorphoses into a
spermatozoid
 Spermatozoid Uninucleate, naked and
posses 2 flagella (Whiplash) at the
anterior end
Riccia – Development of
Antheridium :
▪
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 Antheridium :
▪ multicellular and elongated structure enclosed in an
antheridial cavity
▪ consists of a stalk and a body
▪ body is ovoid or pear-shaped
▪ outermost sterile layer called the jacket layer or the
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antheridial wall - protective

▪ encloses a mass of fertile, cubical cells called
androcyte mother cells
▪ Each mother cell divides diagonally to form two
androcytes or spermatids
▪ numerous antherozoids or spermatozoids are formed
in an antheridium.

20
 Antherozoid :
▪ spermatozoid is a minute, slender, curved and
flagellate structure. Flagella are two in number and
are inserted at the anterior end. The body possesses
elongated blepharoplast, a nucleus and a little
cytoplasm. The unused cytoplasm remains attached
to
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the posterior end forming a vesicle.

21
 Antheridium :
▪ Present in a cavity (Archegonial cavity).
▪ Archegonium is flask shaped.
▪ Archegonium formed of three parts - stalk, ventre
and neck
Stalk is small and few celled
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▪
▪ Venter is broad & venter wall is one cell in thickness
➢ Venter encloses a cavity - venter cavity
➢ two unequal cells
➢ smaller - ventral canal cell
➢ larger, posterior cell - ovum or the egg cell
▪ Neck consists of six vertical rows of cells
▪ At the tip - four specialized cells - lid cells or cover
cells. 22
 Riccia – Sexual Reproduction
Structure of Archegonium

 Develops behind growing point (2-3 cells away)

 It has short stalk with flask shape body

 Body contains basal swollen – ventar

 Starting from Venter is long neck

 Venter has jacket made up of single layer of cells

 Cavity of Venter encloses egg and Venter canal cell

 Neck consist of six vertical rows of cells (each row 6-9

cell in height )

 Within neck 4 neck canal cells

 At the top of neck 4 broad cover cells

Riccia – Development of Archegonium
 Archegonium :
riccia

25
 Dehiscence of Sex organs:
▪ water or even moisture is necessary
▪ spermatozoids lie in the antheridial cavity because
the walls of spermatids are already dissolved
▪ water finds its way to the antherdial cavity through
the ostiole of the cavity
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▪ antheridium bursts liberating antherozoids due to

pressure created
▪ archegonium reaches maturity, the ventral canal cell
and the neck canal cells disintegrate or degenerate
to form mucilage
▪ mucilage absorbs more water and pressure is created
separating the lid cells
▪ Sperms reach to the egg cell.

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 Fertilization:
▪ Certain chemical substances are exuded along with
the mucilage
▪ These chemicals probably attract the spermatozoids.
▪ Only one of the antherozoids surrounding the egg
succeeds in uniting with the egg
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▪ gamatophytic stage ends with the process of

fertilization.
▪ The zygote, the first cell of the sporophytic
generation is embedded in venter

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 Sporophyte:
▪ Zygote is the first cell of diploid or sporophytic
generation
▪ The mature sporophyte of Riccia is the simplest
among the sporophytes
▪ It consists of only capsule or the spore sac, while foot
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and seta are absent

▪ The sporophyte is embedded in the storage tissue of
the gametophyte and enclosed in the venter cavity
of the archegonium.
▪ zygote divides mitotically to form sporogonium
having a single sterile layer, the capsule or jacket
wall, enclosing spore mother cells or sporophytes
▪ The sporophytes are last cells of diploid generation
▪ The sporophytes divide meiotically to produce
haploid cells 28
 Spores :
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 Sporophyte :
▪ sporophyte is completely dependent for nutrition on
the gametophyte - complete
▪ sporogonium of Riccia never dehisces
▪ surrounding calyptra decay or disintegrate, the
spores remain behind on the soil.
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▪ favourable conditions, they germinate to from new

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 Spores:
▪ spore is tetrahedral
▪ spore wall or sporoderm is formed of two layers, the
outer exine (exosporium), and the inner intine
(endosporium)
▪ exine is variously ornamented
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▪ exine is cuticularised, while the intine is thin walled

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 Spore germination:
▪ presence of light and the presence of moisture
▪ spore absorbs water and the pressure created
ruptures the exine.
▪ intine comes out forming a short germ tube
▪ contents of the spore migrate to the tip of the
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germ-tube and a partition is formed

▪ division and redivision of the apical region results
into a new gametophyte

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 riccia

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 Alternation of generation:
▪ two distinct generations in the life cycle of Riccia
▪ They are haploid and diploid generations or
gametophytic and sporophytic generations.
▪ gametophyte -antheridia and archegonia develop
antherozoids and ova respectively
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▪ antherozoids unites with the egg resulting in the

formation of a zygote (diploid)
▪ sporophyte, a diploid phase is a complete parasite
depending for nutrition on the gametophyte
▪ Sporophyte – capsule, within it after reduction
division, gives rise to a number of haploid spores.
▪ spore germinates and develops into a gametopyte
▪ gametophyte gives rise - sporophyte and sporophyte
gives rise - gametophyte or gametophyte and
sporophyte alternate with9/6/2020
each RSS other
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riccia

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Riccia – Graphic Life Cycle
 Economic Importance:
▪ rock builders, in soil conservation and in
development of vegetation.
A. Medicinal uses:
▪ treating liver disorders – so known as Hepatics or
liverworts
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▪ Marchantia polymorpha has been used to cure

disorders of liver and for pulmonary tuberculosis
▪ Decoction of Sphagnum is used in the treatment of
acute hemorrhage and diseases of eye
▪ Tea made from leaves of Polytrichum commune
helps to dissolve stones of kidney and gall bladder
▪ some antiseptic property and therefore, it is used
for filling absorbent bandages in surgical dressings
▪ antibiotics can be obtained from extract mosses like,
Sphagnum, Mnium, Polytrichum 39
 Economic Importance:
B. Horticultural uses:
▪ Sphagnum and peat is used as a packing material
for grafting sections.
▪ Sphagnum is also used as packing material for
shipment of live plants, cut flowers, vegetables,
perishable fruits and tubers.
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▪ Peat is added to heavy soils like clayey soils to

improve their textures as peat keeps such soil porous
and prevents caking it.
▪ Peat is added to dry sandy soils and other humus
poor soils to improve water-holding capacity of soil.
▪ Moss sticks are prepared from epiphytic mosses to
give support and moisture for weak stem plants like,
Pothos, Philodendron.

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 Economic Importance:
C. Fuel:
▪ Dried peats are rich in carbon used as fuel on
commercial scale.
D. Alcohol preparation:
▪ Cellulose in peat is broken down into sugars and by
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fermentation; it is converted into ethyl alcohol.

E. For Products preparation:
▪Peaftar, ammonia, paraffin, nitrate, brown dye and
tanning materials are produced from peat.
F. Pollution indicator:
▪Sphagnum acts as pollution indicator by accumulating heavy
metals from the atmosphere.
G. Soil conservation:
The mosses prevent erosion of soil by developing dense mat on
the soil.
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 Economic Importance:
H. Rock builders:
Mosses like Bryum, Hypnum grow along with other aquatic plants
play important role as rock builders.
I. In research:
The liverworts and mosses have played an important role as
research tool in various phases of botany like genetics.
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J. Soil formation:
Bryophytes play important role in plant succession on bare
rocks. When soil is very less, Porella and some mosses grow in
scanty soil and help to increase the amount of soil on rock
surface, due to which small herbs can grow later, on the surface
of rock

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