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A patchwork of moss and snow on Heard Island. Photo: Matt Curnock
Mosses and liverworts
‘Bryophytes’ are a group that include mosses and liverworts. About 130 species have been recorded from Antarctica. This includes 100 species of mosses and 25 to 30 species of hepatics, or liverworts. They are typically small leafy plants, either upright or creeping.
Moss on rocks at Robinson Ridge. Photo: James Lowe
Bryophytes can be found in almost all areas that are capable of supporting plant life in the Antarctic. Moss lawns often occur on meltwater flushes from ponds (such as at Casey station), or from glaciers (such as the Canada Glacier in Victoria Land).
Mosses have been collected from as far south as 84° 30′ (Ceratodon purpureus at Mt. Kyffin, Southern Victoria Land).
Life cycle
The dominant stage in the life cycle of bryophytes is the sexually reproducing gametophyte plant stage. But because of the extreme environmental conditions under which these plants exist, most reproduction occurs asexually. The plants can reproduce from a deciduous shoot apex or gemmae, which are asexual reproductive structures. Sexual reproductive structures may be present on the gametophyte, but male and female organs are rarely found on the same plant.
The sporophyte stage, produced after sexual reproduction, is often absent for Antarctic bryophytes.