Title: Life Cycle - in a nutshell - bryophyte
Headings: Life cycle
Life cycle
... life cycle in a nutshell.
Spore to protonema
The following stylized diagrams show some of the variations.
Further gametophyte growth
Some interesting links

Content: In between there is typically the part that will become the stalk (or seta) that supports the spore capsule, though in a number of bryophytes the seta is short or even non-existent. By the time the sporophyte has matured the spore capsule will contain haploid spores. The following diagram gives one example of a bryophyte life cycle, that of the moss Funaria hygrometrica. Print this diagram as an A4 PDF
The spores produced in a spore capsule are the result of SEXUAL REPRODUCTION. Bryophytes are adept at VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION and vegetative propagules often produce protonemata rather than developing directly into the leafy or thalloid gametophytic stage. The bryophytes are often said to show an alternation of generations. You may see references to the "gametophyte generation" and the "sporophyte generation" alternating. The first thing to note is that "generation" is being used in a way quite different to its every day use. Parents (diploid organisms) refer to their children (also diploid organisms) as the "next generation". The second point worth noting is that many bryophyte gametophytes readily produce offspring without need of sporophytes.