How does asexual and sexual reproduction compare in vascular and non-vascular plants?
1 Answer
Vascular and non-vascular plants are alike in modes of asexualand sexual reproduction.
Explanation:
Bryophytes (e.g. Marchantia, Funaria, etc.) are non-vascular plants. These do not have specialized tissues like xylem and phloem for the conduction of water as is present in vascular plants like Pteridophytes (e.g. Selaginella, fern, etc.) and Spermatophytes (e.g. Pinus, Prunus, Petunia, etc.), However, plant body may be differentiated into stem and leaf-like structures in some plants like mosses. But these are not true stem and leaves.
These plants show similarity in modes of aexual and sexual reproduction inspite of vast variation in morphology of gametophytic and soporophytic generation.
Asexual reproduction occurs by meiospoers in sporophytic generation.
In non-vascular plants, sporophytic generation is reduced, either partial or total parasite on gametophytic generation which represents the main plant body.
In vascular plants, sporophytic generation forms the main plant body and gametohytic generation is reduced,
Sexual reproduction occurs by the fusion of male and female gametes in both non-vascular and vascular plants. The male and female gametes and gametangia, however, show variation in these plants, being more advanced in vascular plants as compared to those in non-vascular plants.
