5-9 Reproduction of Mosses and Ferns

Mosses reproduce by spores.  Moss spores are formed by bringing a female and a male cell together.  A spore lands in a moist spot where it grows into a special kind of moss plant.  This plant usually looks like a small green thread.  The thread develops buds that grow into small plants.  Some of these small plants are female and others are male.  When the plants are  close enough together, and there is some water present a male sperm is able to swim to a female egg and fertilize it.  The fertilized egg makes a capsule in which new spores are formed and the process begins again.

Ferns are similar to mosses.  When a fern spore gets wet it germinates and turns into a tiny heart-shaped plant.  This plant produces both male sperm and female eggs.  When the male sperm and female egg come together fertilization occurs.  The fertilized egg grows into a new and different plant that will become a large fern.  This mature fern produces spores under its leaves or fronds.  If you look carefully at a fern you can see the spore caps under the frond of a mature fern.   The spores will eventually burst open and start the cycle again.

Directions: Answer the questions about reproduction in mosses and ferns.

Mosses and ferns reproduce by .

Spores are found on the underside of a frond on a .

Which plant creates a plant that looks like a small green thread?

fern

moss

Which plant creates a plant that looks like a tiny heart-shaped plant?

fern

moss

Which plant produces small male plants and small female plants?

fern

moss

Which plant produces small plants with both male sperm and female eggs?

fern

moss