Marchantia can reproduce both
sexually and
asexually. Sexual reproduction involves sperm from
antheridia on the male plant
fertilizing an ovum (egg cell) in the
archegonium of a female plant. The antheridia and archegonia are borne a top special
gametophore stalks called antheridiophores and archegoniophores, respectively. These are borne on separate thalli and thus the plants are
dioicous. Once fertilized, the ovum is called a
zygote and develops into a small
sporophyte plant, which remains attached to the larger
gametophyte plant. The sporophyte produces
spores which develop into free-living male and female gametophyte plants. Asexual reproduction occurs by means of
gemmae, discoid clumps of cells which are genetically identical to the parent and contained in cup-like structures on the upper surface of the plant. These are dispersed when rain splashes into the cups and develop into new plants. Asexual reproduction can also occur when older parts of the plant die and the surviving newer branches develop into separate plants. ==Species==