UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
BL14A - BIODIVERSITY I : THE PLANT KINGDOM
PRACTICAL 2 : BRYOPHYTES
In this practical session the sporophytes and gametophytes of various mosses (Musci)
and liverworts (Hepaticae) will be provided for you to study. You should also
collect specimens yourself and bring these to the class.
The mosses provided come largely from the high rainfall region of Barbados (St. Thomas
/ St. Joseph).
The leafy liverworts have also been collected locally. Thallose liverworts do not occur in
Barbados and
those on display were collected in the USA.
 |
 |
| Thallose liverwort | Leafy liverwort |
|---|
You will notice that the names of some of the Bryophytes are not provided. The reason
for this is simple.
The study of mosses - Bryology - is very much a specialist area. There are probably one or
two people in
the world who specialise in the mosses and liverworts of the Caribbean. It is quite
possible that some of the
Bryophytes you bring to the lab may not have been named or described!
Using a dissecting microscope as well as a compound microscope examine and draw:-
(i) a leafy liverwort (fresh Plagiochila sp.)
(ii) a thallose liverwort (preserved Marchantia)
(iii) an acrocarpous moss (fresh Barbula agraria)
(iv) a pleurocaropus moss
Prepare diagrams (incorporating a scale bar) of each of these.
Draw diagrams of the prepared slides to show:-
 |
 |
| (i) archegonium of a moss or a liverwort |
(ii) antheridium of a moss or a liverwort |
 |
 |
| (iv) the sporophyte of a moss. | (iii) the sporophyte of a liverwort |
You are provided with two unknowns, A & B, one a moss, the other a leafy liverwort.
State which is which, giving reasons.
SUMMARY:
Prepare diagrams of:
1. Gross morphology of:
(a) leafy & thallose liverworts
(b) acrocarpous & pleurocarpous mosses
2. (a) L.S. archegonium
(b) L.S. antheridium
(c) L.S. liverwort sporophyte
(d) L.S. moss sporophyte
3. Classify the two unknowns provided.
