Common moss with a mixed life cycle.

• Ward's produced slides

• Rigorous quality control standards

Mosses are a familiar organism for students, and an easily found bryophyte. These pioneer bryophytes grow in many different conditions, and transform areas with poor growing conditions. Mosses produce through an alternating life cycle. The most visible stage is the haploid vegetative form. Individual gametophytes form and fertilization occurs in an archegonia forming a diploid zygote. The zygote divides into many haploid spores as the archegonia forms an elevated sporangia. When mature, the sporangia opens and haploid spores are scattered.