The principle aim of this practical is for you to see and learn to recognize the major division of land plants. The questions below are designed to focus your attention on key traits of each of the divisions. Many of the questions ask you to describe what you see in the lab and the garden. Making observations and describing these observations is a core skill in biology. Unless specifically requested, we are not interested in what you can find online. We would like to hear from you about what you observed on the specimens available in the laboratory. A few questions ask you to refer to the lectures [Lectures] or to do additional research [Research] in books or online. Specimens on your bench [ie not the demonstration specimens at the back] are available for you to examine under dissecting microscopes at each bench. Many of these plants will rapidly dry out. Please re-cover them as soon as you have looked at them and return them to where you found them on the bench so that others can examine them. Station A: Charophyta - Chara Q1: Describe the appearance of the thallus of Chara in the small aquarium. Q2: In which habitats would you expect to find these plants? Q3: What is the evolutionary significance of these plants [Lectures]? [2] [1] [1] Station B: Marchantiophyta [old name: Hepaticophyta] - The Liverworts Q4: Draw and name the branching pattern of the light green Riccia fluitans plants available on your bench [Lectures]. [4]