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    Sanchita Kulshrestha
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    Pteridophyta is a group of vascular cryptogams that occupy an evolutionary position between bryophytes and gymnosperms. They have characteristics of both, such as a dominant sporophyte generation and alternation of generations like bryophytes, and presence of vascular tissue and differentiation of tissues into roots, stems, and leaves like gymnosperms. Pteridophyta show great diversity and include both living forms like ferns, clubmosses and horsetails, as well as many extinct fossil forms. They were prominent in the Carboniferous period. Living pteridophytes range from terrestrial to aquatic habitats and vary in form from small herbs to large tree ferns. They reproduce via sp

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    Pteridophyta is a group of vascular cryptogams that occupy an evolutionary position between bryophytes and gymnosperms. They have characteristics of both, such as a dominant sporophyte generation and alternation of generations like bryophytes, and presence of vascular tissue and differentiation of tissues into roots, stems, and leaves like gymnosperms. Pteridophyta show great diversity and include both living forms like ferns, clubmosses and horsetails, as well as many extinct fossil forms. They were prominent in the Carboniferous period. Living pteridophytes range from terrestrial to aquatic habitats and vary in form from small herbs to large tree ferns. They reproduce via sp

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    674 views4 pages

    Pteridophytes Introduction

    Uploaded by

    Sanchita Kulshrestha
    Pteridophyta is a group of vascular cryptogams that occupy an evolutionary position between bryophytes and gymnosperms. They have characteristics of both, such as a dominant sporophyte generation and alternation of generations like bryophytes, and presence of vascular tissue and differentiation of tissues into roots, stems, and leaves like gymnosperms. Pteridophyta show great diversity and include both living forms like ferns, clubmosses and horsetails, as well as many extinct fossil forms. They were prominent in the Carboniferous period. Living pteridophytes range from terrestrial to aquatic habitats and vary in form from small herbs to large tree ferns. They reproduce via sp

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    of 4

    1-WHAT IS PTERIDOPHYTA?

    Pteridophyta is a group of higher Cryptogams having a well developed vascular system. Due to this these
    plants are also called vascular Cryptogams. The name Pteridophyta Was originally assigned by the
    presence of pinnate or feather (Petron means feather and python meaning plants likes lives). The name
    Pteridophtya was first introduced by Haeckel (1866).

    In the plant kingdom, the Pteridophyta occupy a position in between bryophytes and gymnosperms, and
    therefore they have some similarities with the bryophytes on the one hand (e.g. 1-Presence of sterile
    jacket around the sex organs, 2-Water or moisture for fertilization, 3-Presence of alternation of
    generation, 4-Formation of the spores, etc.) and with gymnosperms (e.g. 1-Sporophytic plant body
    which is differentiated into root, stem and leaves, 2- Presence of vascular tissues for conduction,
    3-Independent nature of the Sporophyte, etc.) on the other hand.

    1.1 GENRAL CHRACTERISTICS

    Due to great range of variation the Pteridophyta consist four important chracterstics features (Verdoom,
    1938)

    1. Antithetic alternation of generation in which one is small and lowly organized haploid
    gametophyte and a large and highly organized diploid sporophyte.
    2. Sex organs occur in the gametophyte.
    3. A stem with apical growth in the sporophyte.
    4. The sporangia devlop in the sporophyte.

    OTHER CHRACTERISTIC FEATURE

    1.2 LIVING AND FOSSIL PTERIDOPHYTES

    Pteridophyta belongs to most primitive living vascular plants such as ​Selaginella, Lycopodium,
    Equisetum, etc., and many fossil plant such as Rhynia, Hornea, Zosterophyllum, Asteroxylon, etc.
    According to Reimer’s (1954) classification fossil pteridophytes are represented by all the members of
    division Psilophytosida, Protolipidodendrales and Lepidodendrales of division Lycopsida,
    HyenialesSphenophyllales and Clamitales of division Sphenopsida and Cladoxylales and Coenopteridales
    of division Pteropsida.

    Pteridophyta was a prominent group of plant kingdom in the Carboniferous era when tree like forms
    were very common in the forest.

    1.3 OCCURANCE

    Most of the living members are terrestrial and prefer to grow in cool and shady places while some are
    xerofetic e.g. ​Selaginella​ rupestirs. Many members are aquatic e.g. Marsilea, Salvinia, Azolla etc.

    1.4 PLANT BODY

    Plant body shows great variations in forms, size and structure . They sporophytic plant body is
    differentiated into roots stems and leaves. Except few woody tree ferns, all living members are
    herbaceous. Rhizophore, an intermediate stage between root and stem e.g. ​Selaginella​.

    The root are generally adventitious. The primary roots are ephemeral. The root, stem and leaves
    develop with the help of a single two sided or three sided apical cell.

    The leaves may be single, small and sessile as in Selaginella etc. or very large and petiolate as in Filicinae.
    On the basis of size of leaves it may be micorphylls and megaphylls.

    The leaf trace if present, is single and generally unbranched but some time it shows dichotomous
    branching. In megahphylls, the leaf traces are usually associated with leaf gapes.

    1.5 TROPHOPOD

    Trophopod, a food storage organ formed by the enlarged and modified leaf base e.g. Asplenium sps etc.

    1.6 CAROTENOIDS

    Czezuga(1985) reported 27 carotenoids in 66 members of pteridophyta. Carotenoids are characteristics


    to club moss and horsetail species are β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein epoxide and ferm species
    are β-cryptoxanthin, lutein epoxide and rhodoxanthin etc.

    1.7 SPOROPHYLLS

    The sporangia bearing leaves are called sporophylls. In heterosporous forms, the sporophylls are
    differentiated into micro or mega sporophylls (In presence of absence of microsporangium or
    megasporangium.

    1.8 VASCULLAR SYSTEM


    The vascular supply to the leaves takes place by the leaf trace through leave gapes of the vascular
    cylinder of the stem. The cambium is generally absent.

    A stele without leaf gapes is called protostele e.g. Lycopodium and ​Selaginella but in Marsilea it is
    siphonostele (Ectophloic siphonostele is the example of aerial axis of Equisteum). But amphiphloic
    siphonostele is the example of Marsilea and pteris, dryopteris and polypodium are the example of
    dictyostele.

    1.9 SPORANGIA

    Plants reproduce by spores formed in sporangia. The sporangia devlop either on the vental surface or in
    the axil of the leaves. However, in members of Psilophytales (e.g. Rhynia, Horneophyton, etc.) the
    sporangia were cauline.

    Pteridophyte includes both homosporous (Equisetum) and heterosporous (Selaginella) in Equisetum or


    Selaginella they are present inform of a compact structures called strobili or cones.

    In genera like Azolla, Marsilea and Salvinia the sporangia are present in specialized bodies called
    sporocarps.

    1.10​ ​DEVELOPMENT OF SPORANGIA

    The develop of sporangia classified into two types e.g. Eusporangiate (Lycopodium, Selaginella) and
    Leptosporangiate (Marsilea etc.)

    1.11 SOROUS

    The sporangia in higher ferns are present in the form of well organized groups called Sori. A sori may be
    three types

    1-Simple

    A sorous in which all the sporangia appear, grow and mature at the same time is called simple sorous.

    2​-Gradate sorus
    A sorus in which the centre is occupied by oldest sporangium and the successive younger sporangia are
    present towards the base is called gradate sorous.

    3-Mixed Sorus

    Some time the sporangia of different ages are present in a sorous without any definate arrangement.
    such sorous is called mixed sorus.

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