Bryophytes — Essential Points:

1. "Amphibians of the plant kingdom" — terrestrial but need water for fertilization (flagellated antherozoids must swim to archegonium)
2. Non-vascular — no xylem or phloem; water absorbed through entire body surface
3. Dominant phase = GAMETOPHYTE (haploid, n) — the visible green plant
4. Sporophyte = foot + seta + capsule — dependent on gametophyte for nutrition
5. Liverworts (Marchantia): flat thalloid body, dorsiventral symmetry, gemma cups with gemmae (asexual reproduction)
6. Mosses (Funaria): protonema stage (from spore) → leafy gametophore; Sphagnum = peat moss with hyaline cells (water retention)
7. No true roots — only rhizoids for anchorage
8. Ecological role: pioneer organisms on bare rock; soil formation; Sphagnum for horticulture and peat fuel

Pteridophytes — Essential Points:

1. First vascular plants — possess true xylem and phloem (major evolutionary innovation)
2. Dominant phase = SPOROPHYTE (diploid, 2n) — the large fern plant
3. Gametophyte = prothallus — small, heart-shaped, independent, photosynthetic; bears antheridia and archegonia
4. Water still required for fertilization — flagellated sperm swim to archegonium on prothallus
5. Homosporous (most): Dryopteris, Equisetum, Adiantum, Pteris — one type of spore
6. Heterosporous (two only): Selaginella and Salvinia — megaspores (→ female gametophyte) + microspores (→ male gametophyte)
7. Heterospory = evolutionary precursor to seed habit — megaspore retained in megasporangium = early seed condition
8. Equisetum: jointed, hollow stem; whorled scale leaves; silica deposits (scouring rush)
9. Spores in sporangia → grouped into sori on frond underside
10. Carboniferous tree ferns formed modern coal deposits