Moss Archegonium

    It is a female sex organ of the moss. The archegonia occur in groups. Each archegonium is a flask-shaped structure, provided with a multi cellular stalk at the base. The neck of the archegonium is very long and there are many neck canal cells. Inside the archegonium and situated in the centre, is the egg (or) ovum. As the egg ripens, the ventral canal cell and  the neck canal cells are disorganised and the neck opens at the tip.

Moss Antheridium

   It is a male sex organ of the moss. These are borne in groups at the tips of branches and are surrounded by a cluster of leaves, which protect them. The antheridia are large in size and are closely arranged in a rosette. The cluster becomes red when ripe and are popularly called 'moss flowers'. Each antheridium is a fine club-shaped structure. Inside the antheridium are found numerous sperm mother cells; when the antheridium is ripe, each sperm mother cell gives rise to a single spermatozoid.

Marchantia Habit

     The genus 'Marchantia', belongs to the division 'Bryophytes'. It is commonly found in moist, cool, shady situtations and areas of burnt ground. The plant is not differentiated into stem, root and leaf, hence it is called 'thallus'. The thallus is flat, fleshy, dorsiventral and is dark green in colour attached to the substratum by means of rhizoids. When the thallus attains maturity it bears reproductive structures called 'gametophores'.

    The mature thallus models are exhibited in the Systematic Botany Gallery, which explains about the diversity of plants.

Introduction to Algae
   
     The 'Algae', are a diverse group of organisms (from the Latin word for 'seaweed') that are mostly photosynthetic. They widely range in size from unicellular microscopic forms to large multicellular seaweeds. They occur in all types of environment such as oceans, freshwater ponds, lakes, streams, hotsprings, polar ice, and moist soil. The chlorophyll 'a', yellow and orange carotenoids which are photosynthetic pigments are found in all algae; different groups of algae posses a variety of other pigments that are also important in photosynthesis. The classification of algae is largely based on their pigment composition and what kind of materials they produce to store, energy resources. The algae are reproduced  both asexually and sexually. The algae are commercially important. They are used for human food, as fodder, in sewage disposal, in water purification, preparation of antibiotics, agar, carrageenin, algenic acid, in agriculture and also in biological research etc. The various types of algal models and photographs are exhibited in the Systematic Botany Gallery.

     It is a siphonous marine green algae, belonging to the division 'Chlorophyta'. It occurs in the upper subtidal areas especially in tropical and subtropical waters. The algae are notable for their calcified cell walls. When these algae die and disintegrate, they play a major role in the generation of the white carbonate sand that is so characteristic of tropical waters.

    This alga is displayed in Systematic Botany Gallery in formalin.