Glossary Details – French Guianan E-Flora Project

Glossary Details:

Title: Thalloid bryophyte showing asexual and sexual reproduction. Photo by B. Thiers.

Description: The thalloid Marchantia is a thalloid bryophyte with asexual and sexual means of reproduction. The gemmae cups contain gemmae which are asexual. In contrast, the sperm and eggs are produced in antheridia and archegonia, respectively and are the sexual means of reproduction. In this image the thallus is haploid and, thus, represents the gametophytic part of the live cycle. The union of a sperm and an egg produce the sporophytic or diploid stage of the life cycle, represented in this image by the antheridial and archegonial heads..

Term:

Thallus (adj. = thalloid)

Definition:

A generalized term used to describe the prostrate axis of a plant that is not differentiated into stem, leaf, and root.

Notes:

This feature is best shown in some species of liverworts, e.g., species of Marchantia.