Question

Reproduction of quillworts is similar to that of spike mosses, except that:

a. no strobili
b. no sporangia
c. no rhizomes
d. no roots

Answer 1

Quillworts and spike mosses both reproduce through an alternation of generations, but quillworts are unique in that they do not produce strobili, contrary to spike mosses and other related lycopods.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reproduction of quillworts is similar to that of spike mosses, with a key difference being that quillworts do not produce strobili, which are cone-like structures comprised of sporophylls that bear sporangia in other related plants.

Quillworts, like other members of the Lycopodiophyta such as spike mosses, undergo an alternation of generations, with both a gametophyte and a sporophyte stage. However, the quillworts exhibit some unique characteristics, such as their aquatic habitat and the formation of rosettes with awl-shaped leaves.

While both quillworts and spike mosses have rhizomes, which are horizontal stems, and produce sporangia where spores are developed, the absence of strobili distinguishes quillworts from their close relatives. This underlines a subtle but critical variance in reproductive structure and strategy among the Lycopods.