Pteridophyta Basic Characteristics

Pteridophyta Basic Characteristics
Dr Moni Kumari
B.Sc 1st Year
28-05-2020
A pteridophyte is a vascular plant (with xylem and phloem) that disperses spores.
Because pteridophytes produce neither flowers nor seeds, so called
"cryptogams", meaning hidden reproduction.
The Pteridophyta, commonly called vascular cryptogams, are represented by more than
about 10,000 species
Vascular supply to the leaves takes place by leaf traces through leaf gaps of the vascular
cylinder of stem.
Members of this group are most primitive living vascular plants such as Selaginella,
Lycopodium, Equisetum etc., and also fossil vascular plants such as Rhynia, Horneophyton,
Asteroxylon, etc.
Most of the plants prefer to grow in cool and shady places while some are xerophytic, e.g.,
Selaginella rupestris, and many occur in aquatic conditions like Marsilea, Salvinia, Azolla,
etc.
A saprophyte is the main plant body here. Pteridophytes display differentiation. The plant body
can be divided into true root, stem, and leaves.
Rhizophore, is present as in Selaginella.

Young sporophyte is partially or completely dependent on gametophyte for some time, but at
maturity it becomes independent.
Some of the species belonging to this division have small, simple and sessile leaves called the
microphylls. For example, Selaginella and Lycopodium
Megaphylls are the large and petiolate leaves that some pteridophytes have. For example, fern
plants.
Plants reproduce by the spores formed in sporangia. Sporangia develop either on the ventral
surface or in the axil of leaves.
The main plant bears the sporangia. These bear some leaf-like appendages called the
sporophylls.
Plants may be homosporous, i.e., all the spores are of one type as in Equisetum, or
heterosporous, i.e., two types of spores are present (microspores and megaspores) as in
Selaginella.
In a few species such as Selaginella and Equisetum, the sporophylls form compact structures
called cones or strobili.
In lower members, the stele is protostele, as in Lycopodium, Selaginella, etc., but it is

siphonostele in Marsilea (amphiphloic), Equisetum (ectophloic), and dictyostele as in Pteris,
Aspidium, Polypodium, Dryopteris, etc.
To understand.......
1. Protostele. pro·to·stele. a simple, primitive arrangement of conducting tissues in

stems and roots of certain lower plants, consisting of a solid cylinder of xylem
surrounded by a layer of phloem.
2. Siphonostele a stele consisting of a core of pith surrounded by concentric layers of
xylem and phloem.
3. Dictyostele a stele in which the vascular cylinder is broken up into a longitudinal
series or network of vascular strands around a central pith (as in many ferns)
Pteridophytes show a true alternation of generations.
Dominant sporophyte produces spores through meiosis. The gametophyte generation forms
gametes by mitosis.
The spores are produced by the sporangia in the spore mother cells.
These spores germinate and give rise to gametophytes.
These gametophytes are free-living, multicellular and photosynthetic. They are called as the
prothallus. Generally, the gametophytes require damp and cool places to grow, due to their
dependence on water. For this reason, the growth of pteridophytes is confined to certain
geographical areas.
Antheridia is the name of the male sex organs and archegonia is the name of female sex organs.
Antherozoids are the male gametes, which are released by the antheridia.
Antherozoids can get transferred to the archegonia which are the female sex organs, only in the
presence of water.
Once the fusion of the gametes occurs, a zygote is formed. This zygote produces the sporophyte,
after division.
When the spores of the plants are similar then these plants are called homosporous plants.
Heterosporous plants are the ones that have two different kinds of spores. They are the
megaspores and the microspores. In these heterosporous plants, the megaspores and microspores
germinate and give female and male gametophytes respectively.
Example to understand the life cycle of pteridophyta

Pteridophyta Basic Characteristics

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Pteridophyta Basic Characteristics

Rhizophore, is present as in Selaginella.

In lower members, the stele is protostele, as in Lycopodium, Selaginella, etc., but it is

1. Protostele. pro·to·stele. a simple, primitive arrangement of conducting tissues in

These spores germinate and give rise to gametophytes.

Example to understand the life cycle of pteridophyta

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