Which one of the following statements about bryophytes is not correct?
- (a)The plant body is a gametophyte.
- (b)They are also called the amphibians of plant kingdom.
- (c)The plant body is attached to the substratum by rhizoids.
- (d)Specialized water-conducting tissues are present.
Correct — D, Specialized water-conducting tissues are present. Bryophytes — mosses, liverworts and hornworts — are non-vascular plants, so they lack true xylem and phloem; the claim that specialised water-conducting tissue is present is NOT correct. The other three statements are all genuinely true of bryophytes.
- (a)The plant body is a gametophyte. — This is true — the dominant, photosynthetic plant body of a bryophyte is the haploid gametophyte.
- (b)They are also called the amphibians of plant kingdom. — This is true — bryophytes live on land yet need external water for fertilisation, so they are called the 'amphibians of the plant kingdom'.
- (c)The plant body is attached to the substratum by rhizoids. — This is true — bryophytes anchor to the substratum by thread-like rhizoids, as they have no true roots.
Bryophytes are the simplest land plants and are non-vascular — they have no true roots, stems or leaves and no well-developed conducting tissue such as xylem and phloem. Their dominant generation is the gametophyte, and because fertilisation needs a film of water they are often called the amphibians of the plant kingdom.
The question hunts for the false statement. Three options describe real bryophyte features (gametophyte body, amphibian nickname, rhizoids); the misfit is the presence of specialised water-conducting tissue, which belongs to vascular plants, not bryophytes.
- Bryophytes are non-vascular, lacking true xylem, phloem, roots and well-developed conducting tissue.
- The gametophyte is the dominant generation of a bryophyte.
- They need external water for fertilisation, earning the name 'amphibians of the plant kingdom'.
- Rhizoids, not true roots, anchor the plant to the substratum.
- Assuming every land plant has xylem and phloem.
- Confusing rhizoids with true roots.
NDA/UPSC ask which statement about bryophytes is correct or incorrect — remember they are non-vascular, gametophyte-dominant and need water to reproduce.
In the nature, which of the following is/are most likely to be found surviving on a surface without soil? 1. Fern 2. Lichen 3. Moss 4. Mushroom. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- (a) 1 and 4 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 2 and 3
- (d) 1, 3 and 4
Answer(c) 2 and 3 — lichens and mosses colonise bare rock or bark without soil, absorbing water and nutrients directly; mosses (bryophytes) do this because they are simple non-vascular plants.
UPSC prelims 2021 featured moss (a bryophyte) surviving on a surface without soil, reflecting the same non-vascular, rhizoid-anchored biology that makes bryophytes distinct from vascular plants.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Bryophytes are called the 'amphibians of the plant kingdom' because
- (a)they can swim
- (b)they need water for fertilisation
- (c)they live entirely under water
- (d)they have gills
Answer(b) they need water for fertilisation — they grow on land yet depend on a film of water to reproduce.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following is a non-vascular plant?
- (a)Fern
- (b)Pine
- (c)Moss
- (d)Mango
Answer(c) Moss — a bryophyte that lacks true vascular (conducting) tissue, unlike ferns and seed plants.