single cell Protein (SCP). Dunaliella salina an alga, growing in salt pan is complement to our health and provide β carotene. A Productive Cultivation in Sea Algae like Kappaphycus alvarezii, Gracilaria edulis and Gelidiella acerosa are commercially grown in the sea for harvesting the phycocolloids. Sea Palm It is Postelia palmaeformis a brown alga.
. Bryophytes Amphibians of Plant Kingdom In the previous chapter, we noticed a wide range of thallus organization in Algae. Majority of them are aquatic. The development of heterotrichous habit, development of parenchyma tissue and dichotomous branching in some algae supports the view that colonization of plants in land occurred in the past.
Bryophytes are simplest and most primitive plant groups descended from alga – like ancestors. They are simple embryophytes. Let us learn about the structure and reproduction of these primitive land plants called Bryophytes in detail. Bryophytes are simplest land inhabiting cryptogams and are restricted to moist, shady habitats.
They lack vascular tissue and hence called ‘Non- vascular cryptogams’ . They are also called as ‘ amphibians of plant kingdom’ because they need water for completing their life cycle. Shiv Ram Kashyap ( - ) Father of Indian Bryology. He published a book- ‘Liverworts of Western Himalayas and Punjab Plains’ He identified new genera like Atchinsoniella, Sauchia, Sewardiella and Stephansoniella.
. . General characteristic features • The plant body of bryophyte is gametophyte and is not differentiated into root, stem and leaf like structure. • Most of them are primitive land dwellers.
Some of them are aquatic ( Riella, Ricciocarpus ). • The gametophyte is conspicuous, long lived phase of the life cycle. Thalloid forms are present in liverworts and Hornworts. In Mosses leaf like, stem like structures are present.
In Liverworts thallus grows prostrate on the ground and is attached to the substratum by means of rhizoids. Two types of rhizoids are present namely smooth walled and pegged or tuberculate. Multicellular scales are also present. In Moss the plant body is erect with central axis bearing leaf like expansions.
Multicellular rhizoids are present. The structure and reproduction in Bryophytes is given in Figure . . •