The humblest members of the plant kingdom?
Discover the bryophytes, the first group of plants to conquer the land
CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Talita Dewes & Juçara Bordin
Schlotheimia torquata on Tabulae physiognom XI (2023) by Denilson Fernandes Peralta and Talita da Silva DewesOriginal Source: Personal file adapted.
Spotlight on bryophytes
Mosses, liverworts, and hornworts form a group known as bryophytes, the second largest among terrestrial plants. Invisible to most people due to their size, bryophytes are remarkable and unforgettable once noticed!
Flora Brasiliensis: Vol. I, Part II, Fasc. 1 Plate 4CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Martius and the bryophytes
The book "Journey through Brazil" indicates that Martius also intended to investigate "the humblest members of the plant kingdom, such as mosses.” Other researchers have also used and still use derogatory terms, such as "lower plants", to refer to these plants.
The incredible tiny world of the bryophytes
There are about 18,000 bryophyte species worldwide and they display a remarkable diversity in form and structure. So why are they called "lower" or "humble"?
No flowers or seeds
These plants have no flowers or seeds. They reproduce by means of spores produced by a structure called a sporophyte.
Flora Brasiliensis: Vol. I, Part II, Fasc. 1 Plate 2CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Different, yes; inferior, never!
They are small when compared to other plants such as trees. The size difference results from the absence of morphological structures for sustaining, transporting, and conserving water.
Conquest of the land
Bryophytes were the first plants to conquer land, and it is believed that they still retain much of the appearance of those early pioneers. Yet, with few fossils available, much of this story remains hidden in the past.
Antartic moss mat by Juçara BordinOriginal Source: Personal file.
Distribution of bryophytes
They are distributed all around the world and can be found in dry and desert regions, as well as in polar regions. They develop on all natural substrates available in the environment, such as rocks, tree trunks, and also on anthropogenic elements.
Abundance versus diversity
Although they are more abundant in temperate and polar regions, there is a larger number of species in tropical regions. Martius and Spix reported that the trees of the Amazon had "thick leaves covered with Jungermanias and mosses.”
"Icones Plantarum Cryptogamicarum"
Among bryophytes, only the mosses were cited in Flora Brasiliensis, with 196 species. Some liverworts collected during the Martius and Spix expedition were mentioned in an earlier work, Icones Plantarum Cryptogamicarum. Only hornworts were left out of these publications.
Peat moss, Sphagnum cuspidatum.Original Source: Canva
Small but no less important!
Beyond the incredible beauty, in miniature, of the bryophytes, these plants are not as humble as some authors make us think. They play an extremely important ecological role and have enormous potential for use in biotechnology—but that is a story for another time!
Research and text Talita Dewes (UFRGS), Juçara Bordin (UERGS)
Display: Fernando B. Matos (CRIA)
Editing: Fernando B. Matos (CRIA) & Luiza F. A. de Paula (UFMG)
References: Flora Brasiliensis (http://florabrasiliensis.cria.org.br/opus); Journey through Brazil (https://www2.senado.leg.br/bdsf/handle/id/573991); Icones Plantarum Cryptogamicarum (https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/16100); Ignatov & Maslova (2021). Fossil mosses: What do they tell us about moss evolution?. Bryophyte Diversity Evol. 43: 72-97.
Additional information: http://florabrasiliensis.cria.org.br/stories
Acknowledgements: To the owners of the images, who kindly shared their files, Denilson Fernandes Peralta, Lucas Souza de Lima, Michael Ignatov and Elena Maslova.
*Every effort has been made to credit images and videos and to adequately account for the episodes narrated in the exhibitions. In case of errors and/or omissions, please contact us at: contato@cria.org.br
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