Question

A leafy non-vascular plant with parasitic sporophytic generation should properly be classified in
A. Thallophyta
B. Bryophyta
C. Pteridophyta
D. Spermatophyta

Answer 1

These plants are an important division of the plant kingdom. These organisms lack true roots, stems, leaves, and other vascular tissues. They are characteristically limited in size and prefer moist habitats although they can survive in drier environments.

Complete answer:
Bryophytes are an important division of the kingdom Plantae and constitute about 25,000 species. They are found in various geographical regions with a wide range of temperature, elevation, and moisture. They can also grow on moist rocks and bare soil as they do not require a root system to take up nutrients. They lack vascular structures such as roots, stems, and even leaves, they have a thallus like body and have enclosed gametangia and sporangia. Even though they do not possess true leaves they are photosynthetic. One main characteristic of bryophytes is that they have enclosed reproductive organs and reproduce via spores. This life cycle heavily depends upon gametophyte formation via spores. These organisms heavily rely on water to disperse the haploid spores which need to fuse with the gametophyte and thus is also called the parasite of the gametophyte. The life cycle of bryophytes heavily depends on water to pollinate the spores produced by the plant. The spore produced by the sporangia develops into male or female plants. The antheridium from the male plant releases the sperm into the water, which then transports it to the archegonium of the female plant to fertilize the egg. They reproduce via parasitic sporophyte generation with the aid of water and therefore called amphibian plants. The fertilized zygote develops into a gametangia and releases spores and the cycle continues. Parasitic sporophyte generation refers to when a sporophyte is non-photosynthetic and depends on a gametophyte to provide nutrients. Due to such dependency on a host for survival, it is known as the parasitic sporophyte. The spores produced by the sporophyte of the plant need to divide into a gametophyte for survival as seen in bryophytes.
Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Note: Thallophytes have an independent generation of gametophytes and sporophyte and Similarly, pteridophytes and spermatophyte are vascular plants. The bryophytes are subdivided into liverworts, mosses, and hornworts.