Cyathodium bryophyte: morphology, anatomy, reproduction etc.

Cyathodium

1. CYATHODIUM

2. SYSTEMATIC POSITION

3. GENERAL FEATURES OF CYATHODIUM HABITAT: Occurs in moist areas of both forest and non-forest areas of the study area; on soil, wet rocks, walls and termite mount in the moist deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen forest and as well as in the pots and walls in the non-forested areas and homesteads.

4. DISTRIBUTION: A widely distributed species usually growing in low altitude areas, in places of human habitation or in shady places of disturbed areas. It has earlier been reported from Peninsular India (Kerala, Gujarat), Central India (Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan), North-east India (Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya), Myanmar, Cuba, Africa, Java, Mexico and America.

5. MORPHOLOGY : Plant body is usually thin delicate with dichotomously branched thallus. Thallus: Yellowish to green or light green to fluorescent green. It is flat with dorsal and ventral surface. Dorsal surface :Have polygonal areas each with an air pore. Ventral surface:Scales are reduced or usually absent.

6. Reduced ventral scales are few celled, chlorophyllous, filamentous, uniseriate or biseriate. Rhizoids are present. It can be smooth walled or tuberculate.

7. ANATOMY Reduced thallus. Consist of photosynthetic zone showing one row of large and empty air chambers. Pores are simple or half barrel shaped. Storage zone is absent or reduced in many species(except Cyathodium denticulatum)

8. REPRODUCTION Reproduction can be through: .Vegetative reproduction .Sexual reproduction Vegetative reproduction:- Some species like Cyathodium tuberosum develop tubers at apex of thallus which help in vegetative propagation.

9. Sexual reproduction:- Usually monoecious (or dioecious) . Antheridia are produced on antheridiophore. (Male receptacle). Antheridia is in cushion shaped antheridial receptacle lateral-terminal, between two lobes or between female involucres; disc-shaped. Antheridiophore is either sessile or stalked with 2 or several lobed disc. Stalk has a shallow rhizoidal furrow. Antheridia are formed in acropetal succession.

10. Archegonia are found on ventral surface near growing point at the apex of thallus. They are enclosed within a single oval or tumbler shaped bi lipped involucre( can be smooth or hairy. ) Antherozoids and egg fuse to form the next sporophytic generation.

11. Sporophyt e : Consist of small foot, a seta and a spherical capsule. There is a prominent operculum or lid at apex which is bistratose. Upper half of capsule is with thickening band while lower half is without thickening bands. Dehiscence of capsule is by throwing of lid and rupturing of capsule wall into 4-8valves. Number of elaters in each capsule is less than number of spores. Spores are haploid and formed from spore mother cells after meiosis. Spores germinate to form thallus in presence of water.

12. LIFE CYCLE: There is a regular alternation of generation between morphologically distinct gametophyte and sporophyte .

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