The Funariidae are a widespread group of
moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...
es in class
Bryopsida
The Bryopsida constitute the largest class of mosses, containing 95% of all moss species. It consists of approximately 11,500 species, common throughout the whole world.
The group is distinguished by having spore capsules with teeth that are '' ...
.
[Buck, William R. & Bernard Goffinet. 2000. "Morphology and classification of mosses", pages 71-123 ''in'' A. Jonathan Shaw & Bernard Goffinet (Eds.), ''Bryophyte Biology''. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). .] The majority of species belong to the genera ''
Funaria'' (c. 200 species) and ''
Physcomitrium'' (c. 80 species).
Classification
The Funariidae include three monotypic orders, with around 350 species, most of which belong either to the genus ''Funaria'' or ''Physcomitrium''.
[
: Order ]Encalyptales
Encalyptales is an order of mosses in subclass Funariidae
The Funariidae are a widespread group of mosses in class Bryopsida.Buck, William R. & Bernard Goffinet. 2000. "Morphology and classification of mosses", pages 71-123 ''in'' A. Jonathan ...
:: Family Encalyptaceae
Encalyptaceae is a family of mosses in order Encalyptales
Encalyptales is an order of mosses in subclass Funariidae
The Funariidae are a widespread group of mosses in class Bryopsida.Buck, William R. & Bernard Goffinet. 2000. "Morphology an ...
(2 genera, 35 species)Funariales
Funariales is an order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential ...
:: Family Funariaceae (14 genera, ca. 300 species)
:
: Order Disceliales
''Discelium'' is the only genus of moss in the family Disceliaceae; it contains the single species ''Discelium nudum'', the flag-moss. This species is rare, but is widely distributed in cool and temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere
...
:: Family Disceliaceae (1 species ''Discelium nudum
''Discelium'' is the only genus of moss in the family Disceliaceae; it contains the single species ''Discelium nudum'', the flag-moss. This species is rare, but is widely distributed in cool and temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere
...
'')
Description
Species in the subclass Funariidae typically live on or near the ground. Their stems typically have a central strand differentiated from the surrounding cells. The peristome Peristome (from the Greek ''peri'', meaning 'around' or 'about', and ''stoma'', 'mouth') is an anatomical feature that surrounds an opening to an organ or structure. Some plants, fungi, and shelled gastropods have peristomes.
In mosses
In mosses, ...
teeth of their sporangia are arthrodontous, diplolepidous, and opposite.[Goffinet, Bernard, & William R Buck. 2004. "Systematics of the Bryophyta (Mosses): from molecules to a revised classification", pages 205-239 ''in'' Bernard Goffinet, Victoria Holowell, & Robert Magill (Eds.), ''Molecular Systematics of Bryophytes''. (St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press). .]
They are acrocarpous, producing their archegonia
An archegonium (pl: archegonia), from the ancient Greek ''ἀρχή'' ("beginning") and ''γόνος'' ("offspring"), is a multicellular structure or organ of the gametophyte phase of certain plants, producing and containing the ovum or female ga ...
at the upper tips of the stem, and hence sporophyte
A sporophyte () is the diploid multicellular stage in the life cycle of a plant or alga which produces asexual spores. This stage alternates with a multicellular haploid gametophyte phase.
Life cycle
The sporophyte develops from the zygote pr ...
stalks arise from the tip of the stem as well. The capsule of the order Funariales
Funariales is an order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential ...
has a well-defined ring of cells called an annulus
Annulus (or anulus) or annular indicates a ring- or donut-shaped area or structure. It may refer to:
Human anatomy
* ''Anulus fibrosus disci intervertebralis'', spinal structure
* Annulus of Zinn, a.k.a. annular tendon or ''anulus tendineus com ...
. When these cells die, their walls rupture, allowing the sporangium lid to fall off, and revealing the peristome Peristome (from the Greek ''peri'', meaning 'around' or 'about', and ''stoma'', 'mouth') is an anatomical feature that surrounds an opening to an organ or structure. Some plants, fungi, and shelled gastropods have peristomes.
In mosses
In mosses, ...
.
Gallery
File:Funaria hygrometrica (e, 144437-481001) 2951.JPG, Cross section of stem, showing the central strand.
File:Funaria hygrometrica (e, 144437-481001) 2937.JPG, A single leaf, consisting of a single sheet of cells.
File:Funaria hygrometrica (e, 144437-481001) 2931.JPG, Gametophytes of ''Funaria hygrometrica'' with the sporophyte generation emerging from the tips of the plants.
File:Funaria hygrometrica (a, 144639-474820) 3514.jpg, Aging sporophytes of ''Funaria hygrometrica''.
File:Funaria hygrometrica (f, 144605-481033) 0964.JPG, Tip of sporangium (capsule) showing the well-defined annulus of ''Funaria''.
File:Funaria hygrometrica (f, 144605-481033) 0967.JPG, Sporangium after the annulus has released the operculum (lid), revealing the teeth of the peristome.
File:Encalypta vulgaris (c, 153151-482334) 3332.JPG, Sporophytes of ''Encalypta vulgaris'', with their capsules still jacketed by calyptrae.
References
Plant subclasses
Bryopsida
{{Bryophyte-stub