Gemmae in Bryophytes
Gemmae are a means of asexual reproduction found in many bryophytes. Gemmae are 1 to many celled, specially produced clonal plant fragments. Some specific examples of gemmae are illustrated in the table below. The form of the gemmae is often very useful when identifying certain bryophytes. Gemmae are variously dispersed (e.g. by wind, water) and are capable of growing into new plants.
Click thumbnail images to enlarge
| Single-celled gemmae arising from leaf margin of Nowellia curvifolia (grown in liquid culture) |  |
| Single-celled gemmae arising from leaf margin of Lophozia capitata - a leafy liverwort |  |
| Gemmae from leaf margins of the leafy liverwort Scapania |   |
| Discoid, multicellular gemmae along leaf margins of Radula australis - a leafy liverwort |    |
| Polygonal gemmae from leaf margin of the leafy liverwort Lophozia bicrenata |  |
| Gemmae of the moss Syrrhopodon texanus |  |
| Miniature leaf-like gemmae clustered at shoot tips of the moss Tortula pagorum |  |
| Propagule arising from leaf surface in the liverwort Plagiochila |  |
| The moss, Tetraphis pellucida, with gemmae cups |  |
| Gemmae cups in the liverwort Marchantia |  |
Rhizoids anchor the gametophyte to the substrate. Rhizoids can be important taxonomic characters. Their presence/absence, color, and papillosity are sometimes used in making identifications.
| Purple rhizoids of Fossombronia foveolata |  click image to enlarge |
| Rhizoids restricted to underleaf base in a liverwort |  click image to enlarge |
| Unbranched rhizoids of a liverwort |  click image to enlarge |
| Pegged and smooth rhizoids in the Marchantiales |  click image to enlarge |
| Branched rhizoids of a moss |  click image to enlarge |
Protonemata
| Bryidae protonemata |  click image to enlarge |
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