Big Bend National Park in Texas Is Mostly Chihuahuan Desert

Multiple Choice

Big Bend National Park in Texas is mostly Chihuahuan desert, where rainfall averages about 10 inches per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this bone-dry desert to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone." It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaflike structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant." At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss.
-Which of the following features is most important in order for true mosses and ferns to survive and reproduce in the desert?

A) that the sporophytes occupy only permanently shady, north-facing habitats
B) that the sporophytes hug the ground, growing no taller than a couple of inches
C) either that their gametophytes grow close together, or that they be hermaphroditic
D) that the sporophytes have highly lignified vascular tissues