Life cycle of a moss (Polytrichum)

1 The leafy green part of a moss is the haploid gametophyte.
2 The diploid sporophyte has a stalk and a capsule (sporangium). It is not photosynthetic.
3 Haploid spores form by meiosis in the capsule, are released, and drift with the winds.
4 Spores germinate and develop into male or female gametophytes with gametangia that produce eggs or sperm by mitosis.
5 Sperm swim to eggs.
6 Fertilization produces a zygote.
7 The zygote grows and develops into a new sporophyte while remaining attached to and nourished by the female gametophyte.