PTERIDOPHYTES

 Reptiles of the Plant Kingdom

 AKA Vascular Cryptograms.
 First terrestrial plants to possess vascular tissue.
Vessels in xylem and Companion cells in phloem are absent.
 Used for Medicinal purposes, soil binders, grown as ornamentals.
 More adapted terrestrial plants than bryophytes.
- Vascular tissue present
- Roots present
 Not completely successful terrestrial plants because they need water or fertilisation,
so they grow in cool, shady, and moist places.
 Main plant body  Sporophyte
- Primary root remains alive for short period. After some time, it is replaced by
Adventitious root.
- When the stem is underground, it is known as rhizome.
- Megaphyllous Pteridophytes:
Stem  small Leaves  large
E.g., Fern
- Microphyllous Pteridophytes:
Stem  large Leaves  small
E.g., Selaginella
Life Cycle of Pteridophytes:
 Diploid. Reproduce by spore formation.
 Some pteridophytes produce 2 kinds of spores, macro and microspores. They are
known as heterosporous. E.g., Selaginella, Salvinia.
 Formation of spores takes place in Sporangia. Sporangia are formed at the abaxial
surface of the leaves.
 Sporophyte bears sporangia that are subtended by leaf-like appendages called
sporophyll.
 Tropophylls  Regular photosynthetic leaves.
Sporophylls  Sporangia bearing, reproductive leaves.
 In some cases, sporophyll may form distinct compact structures called strobili or
cone.
 Unique character: Sporophylls are also photosynthetic.
 Spore mother cells are found in sporangia.
Spore mother cells –Meiosis Spores within sporangium  Gametophytic
generation.
 Germination of spores is exosporic.
 Spore germinates to give rise to inconspicuous, small but multicellular, free living,
mostly photosynthetic, thalloid gametophyte called Prothallus.
These gametophytes require cool, damp, and shady places to grow.
 Spread of living pteridophytes is limited and restricted to narrow geographical
regions due to specific restricted requirement and the need of water for fertilisation.
 In some pteridophytes, prothallus is saprophytic.
 Prothallus (gametophyte) is made up of thallus and rhizoids. It is non-vascular.
 In plant kingdom, gametophyte is always non-vascular.
 In homosporous pteridophytes, gametophyte is monoecious.
 Gametophyte has sex organs:
Male  Antheridium –Produces Antherozoids (Male gametes)
Female  Archegonium –Produces Egg.
 Antherozoids are spiral and multiflagellate.
Exception: Antherozoids of Selaginella are spindle shaped and biflagellate.
 Fertilisation takes place by zoidogamy.
 Zygote develops and forms and embryo which then develops and forms a
multicellular, well differentiated sporophytic plant with root, stem and leaves, which
is dominant phase of pteridophytes.
 Reproduction  Oogamous
 Life cycle  Diplohaplontic
 Pteridophytes show Independent Alternation of Generation.
i.e., sporophyte and gametophyte are independent of each other.
Heterospory in Pteridophytes:
 Heterospory – Occurrence of two types of spores:
small 
Microspores
Large


Macrospores/Megaspores
 E.g., Selaginella, Salvinia, Azolla, Marsilea (MASS)
 Microspore –Germinate Male gametophyte, Male sex organ, and Male gametes,
which come outside the microsporangium.
Megaspore –Germinate Female gametophyte, Female sex organ, and Female
gametes inside the megasporangium on the parental sporophyte.
 The female gametophyte in these plants is retained on the parent sporophyte for a
variable period.
 [Zygote  Embryo] takes place within the female gametophyte.
 Heterospory is an important step in evolution of seed habit in higher plants.
 Pteridophytes through seed habit are unable to produce seeds.
 Heterospory is required for seed formation, which is shown by Pteridophytes, but
they are still unable to produce seeds which means they show precursor to seed
habit.
 Gametophytes are not completely independent and are not very much developed so
they are not generally completely regarded as prothallus.
 In some pteridophytes, prothallus is saprophytic.
 In heterosporous pteridophytes like Selaginella and Salvinia, gametophytes are not
called prothallus because it is very reduced.
 4 types of
Pteridophyte
s

Psilotum

Sphenopsida
Psilopsida

Lycopsida

Pteropsida