1. As the zygote divides and grows, it does so inside the archegonium . 2. In land plants, the zygote is formed within a chamber called the archegonium . 3. Since the sperm must swim to the archegonium , fertilisation cannot occur without water. 4. The horn-shaped sporophyte grows from an archegonium embedded deep in the gametophyte. 5. The gametophytes produce male ( antheridium ), and female ( archegonium ) gametes. 6. A lateral branch from the main plant axis bears the female shoot archegonium at its meristem. 7. Once the embryo has expanded beyond the enclosing archegonium , it is no longer termed an embryo. 8. Fertilisation takes place when the nucleus of one of the sperm cells enters the egg cell in the megagametophyte s archegonium . 9. In seedless plants, the archegonium is usually flask-shaped, with a long hollow neck through which the sperm cell enters. 10. Sexual reproduction involves the production of ascospores, commencing with the fusion of an archegonium and an antheridium, with sharing of nuclei.
Mobile