NAME : ZAREENA AKHTAR

ROLL NO : 18135

PRESENTATION OF DIVERSITY OF VASCULAR PLANTS:

Ephedra
Reproduction in Ephedra:

Ephedra is heterosporous (produces two types of spores: microspores and

macrospores) and dioecious (both these types of spores are produced on two
different plants of the same species. E. fuliata is monoecious. Microspores are
formed in male flowers while megaspores are formed in female flowers.
 These flowers are present in the form of cone like compound strobili. Male
flowers are present in the form of male strobilus while female flowers are
present in the form of female strobilus. Both male and female strobili are
compound i. e.,the cone axis bears pairs of bracts which subtend either
microsproangiate or ovulate shoots.
Male strobili arise in clusters from the nodes of the branches. Each strobilus is rounded, ovoid or
spherical in shape and arises in the axis of a scale leaf. Their number at the node depends upon the
number of scale leaves.

Each strobilus has a central axis which bears 2-12 pairs decussately arranged simple, broad and
cupped bracts. Lower most 1-2 pairs of bracts are sterile. In the axil of each fertile bract arises a male
flower or staminate flower (Fig. 8 A-C). A male strobilus with several male flowers can be compared
with an inflorescence.
 Male Strobilus (Staminate Strobilus:

Male strobili arise in clusters from the nodes of the branches. Each
strobilus is rounded, ovoid or spherical in shape and arises in the axis
of a scale leaf. Their number at the node depends upon the number of
scale leaves.

 Each strobilus has a central axis which bears 2-12 pairs

decussately arranged simple, broad and cupped bracts. Lower most
1-2 pairs of bracts are sterile. In the axil of each fertile bract arises
a male flower or staminate flower. A male strobilus with several
male flowers can be compared with an inflorescence.
 Male Flower:

 Each male flower has two lipped thin bractioles (perianth) which encloses a stamen.
Bracteoles are united at the base. The flower has a short stalk known as
microsporangiophore and two, eight to twelve microsporangia at its tip.

 Microsporangia are sessile and dehisce terminally. Male flower is also called simple
strobilus. A compound male strobilus, therefore, consists of many such strobili.
 Structure of microsporangium:
Each microsporangium has 2-3 loculi and is often called as synangium. Its wall is two layered followed by a
prominent tapetal layer enclosing a sporangial sac having many pollen grains or microspores.

Development of microsporangium:

 The development of microsporangium is eusporangiate. Microspangia arise at the tip of microsporangiophore.

The microsporangiophore arises as small protuberance in the axil of the fertile bract of male strobilus. The
apex of microsporangiophore becomes lobed after growing for some time.
 Each lobe represents a sporangium. Few hypodermal cells in each lobe enlarge in size. These cells consist
large nuclei, denser cytoplasts and are known as archesporial cells. These cells divide periclinally into outer
primary wall cells or primary parietal cells and primary sporogenous cells.
 Primary sporogenous cells further divide by two periclinal divisions to differentiate middle wall layer, inner
tapetal layer and sporogenous cells. The primary wall cells function directly as the outer wall of the
sporangium.
 However, according to some workers, the primary wall cells
divide periclinally to form three layered thick wall. The
sporogenous cells divide further to form large number of
microspore mother cells. Each microspore mother cell
divides by meiosis to form four haploid microspores
arranged in a linear tetrad.
 Structure of pollen grain:

 Pollen grain is the first cell of the male gametophyte. Each

pollen grain is elliptical, uninucleate and has two wall
layers. The outer wall layer is thick and is called exine
while the inner male layer is then and is called intine.
 Female Strobilus (Ovulate Strobilus) or Female Cone:

 They usually arise in pairs at each node in the axil of

scale leaves. A female strobilus appears to be an
elliptical structure with a pointed apex. It retains the
same compound structure as the male strobilus. It
consists of a short axis to which are attached three or
four pairs of decussate bracts.

 In E. Americana these bracts are swollen and juicy. All

the pairs of bracts are sterile except the uppermost one
which bears a pair of ovules in its axil and may be
variously coloured. Out of the pairs of the ovules only
one survives and it takes up a false terminal position.
 Female Flower:
 The female flower has short stalk and an ovule (megasporangium)

Structure of ovule (megasporangium):

 Longitudinal section of an ovule shows that it consists of a mass of
parenchymatous cells in the centre. It is called nucellus. The nucellus
is surrounded by a two-layered envelope. These are usually designated
as outer and inner integuments. The outer envelope is formed by four
segments and receives four bundles while the inner one is formed of
two segments and receives two bundles.
 The lower half of the inner envelope is fused to the nucellus but upper
half is free and prolongs into a long micropyle tube. By the time of
pollination just below the micropyle pollen chamber develops. Pollen
chamber in Ephedra is the deepest known among the Gymnosperms.
The floor of the pollen chamber is formed by female gametophytic
tissue and not by the nucellus as in other gymnosperms.
 Steps of reproduction:
 Development of ovule
 Gametophytic Phase
 Development of male gametophyte before pollination:
 Development of female gametophyte
 Structure and development of archegonium
 Pollination
 Development of male gametophyte after pollination
 Fertilization
 Embryogeny
 Structure of Seed
 Germination of the seed
Development of male gametophyte before
pollination:
Structure and development of archegonium:
Development of male gametophyte after
pollination:
Fertilization
Embryogeny:
Structure of Seed:
Germination of the seed: