Moss

:This is an article about the plant. For other uses, see Moss (disambiguation)

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• Andreaeidae
• Sphagnidae
• Tetraphidae
• Polytrichidae
• Buxbaumiidae
• Bryidae
• Archidiidae

Mosses belong to the non-vascular plants. They can be distinguished from the apparently similar liverworts (Marchantiophyta or Hepaticae) by their multi-cellular rhizoids. Other differences are not universal for all mosses and all liverworts but the presence of clearly differentiated stem and leaves, the lack of deeply lobes or segmented leaves,and the absence of leaves arranged in three ranks all point to the plant being a moss.

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The division Bryophyta included not only mosses, but also liverworts and hornworts, but these two groups are often now placed in their own divisions.

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Aside from lacking a vascular system, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, i.e. the plant's cells are haploid for most of its life cycle. Sporophytes (i.e. the diploid body) are short-lived and dependent on the gametophyte. This is in contrast to the pattern exhibited by most higher plants and animals. In higher plants, for example, the haploid generation is represented by the pollen and the ovule whilst the diplod generation is the familiar flowering plant.

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Moss: Life cycle ►



 

Non-vascular plant: Simple nonvascular plants...

Liverwort: Liverwort may refer to either...

Marchantiophyta: Haplomitriales (Calobryales)...




Moss related Images and Photos (experimental)

Kate Moss	Randy Moss	Randy Moss	Randy Moss
Randy Moss	Santana Moss 2009	Spanish Moss - Cajun Swamp Tour	Moss Glenn Falls Granville Vermont
Carrie-Anne Moss	Carrie-Anne Moss	The Tudors Moss Candle	Randy Moss 2010 Action