Practice question

Charophytes anticipate many land plant cytological features such as phragmoplast microtubule array, plasmodesmata in some groups with incomplete cell wall separation, branching mucilaginous thallus, and oogamous reproduction with flagellated sperm, but lack true alternation of generations with multicellular diploid sporophyte dependent on gametophyte producing walled spores inside sporangia. They exhibit haplontic cycle where zygote undergoes meiosis directly producing haploid cells. Charophytes possess cellulose walls, chlorophyll a and b, starch. Absence of embryophytic alternation distinguishes them from land plants which evolved sporophyte elaboration after terrestrial colonization.