To understand what the moss, you need to explore the ancient group of plants.This group - the highest type, isolation and numerous.In our time on the planet, there is almost 30 thousand species of moss.
Classification
Botanists have discovered and investigated all known species of bryophytes plant classification is based on differences in morphology, methods of distribution and structure of the spore capsules.Department mossy can be subdivided into those classes: deciduous, hepatic and antotserotovye mosses.
Deciduous mosses
What deciduous mosses?They also called briopsidami.This large class, numbering about 15 thousand species.Representatives of this group are recognized the most highly developed of all the plants of this department.Briopsidy very diverse, both in form and in size.Sometimes they reach a significant size.The most viable stage of their existence - gametophyte.It looks like the stem of a plant with single leaves arranged in a spiral.Multiply briopsidy disputes.Distributed they tundra, marshland and wet areas.Representatives Kukushkin flax, sphagnum moss.
Liver mosses
What is hepatic mosses (liverworts)?They account for about 8.5 thousand. Species and are divided into two subclasses: marshantsievye yungermannievye and liverworts.Prevailing viable stage - gametophyte.Externally, the plant resembles a flattened "stalk" and leaves arranged along.Propagated by spores using elaters (Special springs).Liverworts found in tropical and temperate-humid climate.Typical representatives: blefarostroma volosolistnaya, marchantia polymorphic, barbilofoziya lycopsids, ptilidium ciliated.
Antotserotovye mosses
What mosses antotserotovye?This class of mosses professionals often regarded as a subclass of liverworts.It includes nearly 300 species.
In the life cycle stage of the sporophyte dominates.Externally, the plant looks like a paddle or rozetkopodobnoe thallus.These mosses are found in temperate climate zones and humid tropical type.The representative of the class - antotseros.
generalized characteristics of mosses
So, what is moss?It - low-growing plants, the height of which can vary from 1 mm to 60 cm.They grow on the trunks of trees, on walls, on land, in freshwater ponds and marshes.Because intolerance salt plants are not found in the seas and saline soils.The most common structure of moss is very simple - the stems and leaves.But the roots of the plants considered non-existent.Water and nutrients they absorb rhizoids or whole body.Adaptation to the terrestrial existence has meant that mosses appeared coating and mechanical tissue and new cells that perform the function of conducting.The plant is a perennial, often with small dimensions (height of only a few millimeters), at least a large (up to 60 cm).His body looks like thallus (antotserotovye liverworts or individual), or divided into "stem" and "leaves".Attaching to the substrate, and the absorption of water is outgrowths of cells, so-called rhizoids (they, as a rule, there is no conduction system).
sphagnum moss structure also differs intricacy.This large light green or slightly reddish courtines.They have erect, "stems", located to the bunchy leafy "branches."Without rhizoids erect stem moss (gradually die from the bottom), leafy in several rows, with many leafy lateral processes, which are collected at the top of the stem in a dense head.Throughout the rest of the stem branches collected beams.The latter consist of 3-13 branches hanging down and separated from the stem.On top of the "branches" are shortened and collected in a dense head.Colorless water-bearing cells with pores up the outer layer of "stem".
Unilamellar "leaves" sphagnum include cells of two types: photosynthetic and aquifers.The first are vermiform form and contain chloroplasts disposed between aquifers cells.Many such cells that allows sphagnum absorb large volume of water.Sporophyte sphagnum a box round, in which there are disputes, with a lid.When the spores mature, increasing the pressure inside the capsule, so that lid opens and mature spores are thrown out.This process takes place in warm weather for a better spread of spores.
What is moss green?By striking their representatives include Kukushkin flax.Its "stem" hard cover, dark green awl-shaped "leaves".It has rhizoids, and grows up to 30-40 cm. The leaves and moss bent pryamootstoyaschie, with extended filmy vagina and vein protruding from the top."Stem" has a primitive system and conducting dioecious gametophyte.The top of the "stem" and ends with antheridia archegonia.From zygote after fertilization develops the sporophyte, which is a small box on a long stalk to mature in her haploid spores.Capsule is covered with a thin cap fall, lowered hairs, like linen yarn.Capsule moss divided into the cap, neck and urnochku.Inside the box "hidden" column filled with sterile cells.Around the column is sporangium.Urnochka cap and bordering with the ring made up of cells with thickened walls.This ring is responsible for dropping urnochki and its separation from the cap.
breeding methods moss
sexual generation in the life cycle of the plant prevails over asexual.Reproductive organs moss formed directly on his body.It is mentioned above archegonia and antheridia.Archegonia responsible for the formation and development of a fixed female gametes and antheridia - for a lot of male gametes.The fertilized female gamete (the condition - the presence of water) begins to develop asexual generation moss - sporophyte.This kind of box on a stalk attached to the body of moss.It contains many spores are able to germinate under favorable conditions, to form a new plant.Some species are able to reproduce vegetatively.Thus separated from adult thallus which is attached in the vicinity of the plant, and starts reproduction of independent existence.
Distribution moss
more difficult to determine where there is no moss, something to tell where the moss grows.This flora is distributed almost everywhere - from the tropics to the polar regions.In the tropical regions of the moss grows mainly in mountainous areas and forests, t. E., Where high humidity prevails.Sometimes the soil is covered with moss, and found in the drylands as the plant it has the ability to temporarily stop their livelihoods in the dry season, but with the advent of moisture to renew it.Basically, mosses predominate in temperate and subarctic zones of the northern hemisphere.
Moss and its value
value mosses naturally enormous.Firstly, because it is governed by representatives of flora landscape water balance, because they can accumulate in large thallus moisture reserves.Secondly, plant moss creates a special biocenosis, especially in such areas where it completely covers the ground.In addition, the group has the ability to accumulate and retain radiation.Meaning moss animal also great because bryophytes are the main source of food for some individuals.And in human life, this plant also plays an important role.Thus, many species are effectively used in pharmacology.A peat, formed after the death of moss is used as a fuel.
