CHAPTER 5

PLANTAE - FERNS
 LESSON OUTCOMES

• To explain the characteristics of seedless

vascular plants (ferns)
• To discuss adaptations evolved in colonization
of ferns as land plants
• To state the classification of ferns
• To describe the unique characteristics of each
classes of ferns and life cycles of some
selected fern species
 SEEDLESS VASCULAR PLANTS – FERNS AND
THEIR ALLIES (WHISKFERNS, HORSETAILS
AND CLUB MOSSES)
General characteristics:
 The life cycle exhibits alternation of generation in which the
gametophytes and sporophytes plants are unequal in size.
 Unlike bryophytes, the sporophytes of ferns are not dependent on
gametophytes for growth.
 Vascular plants have vascular tissues composed of:
Xylem - water conducting non-living tissues with a tube-shaped
cell called tracheid.
Phloem - sugar-conducting living tissues arranged into tubes to
transport sugars, amino acids and other organic products to all
part of plants.
 Both vascular tissues are lignified to permit the plants grow to
greater heights than bryophytes
 ADAPTATIONS OF FERNS AS LAND
PLANTS
• Evolution of root with specialized
organ as anchorage and as well as
absorbing water and nutrients from
the soil. Roots of vascular plants
allow the shoot system to grow taller
than in bryophytes.

• Evolution of leaves into specialized

organ to increase the surface area for
capturing solar energy. The leaves is
classified as:
 Microphylls are small, spine-
shaped leaves with a single vein.
 Megaphylls are larger, greater
surface are with a network of
veins.
 ADAPTATIONS OF FERNS AS LAND
PLANTS

• The evolution of sporophyll is

represented by modified leaves
that bear sporangia. Their
variation depends on type of
species. For example, fern
sporophylls produce clusters of
sporangia known as sori (sorus)
usually on the undersides of the
sporophylls. However in certain
fern such as lycophytes, group of
sporophytes form cones, known as
strobili (strobilus).
 ADAPTATIONS OF FERNS
AS LAND PLANTS
• The evolution of spore is represented
by the presence of;
 Homosporous - a type of spores
produced from one type of
sporophyll and typically develops
into bisexually gametophytes.
 Heterosporous - is the two kinds of
spores produced from two types of
sporophylls; megasporophylls
produce megasporangia that
contain megaspores and develop
into female gametophyte, and
microsporophylls produce
microsporangia that contain
microspores eventually develop
into male gametophytes.
 PHYLUM PTERIDOPHYTA (PTEROPHYTA)

General characteristics:
Ferns evolved by producing megaphylls,
leaves with a highly branched vascular
system.
Sporophyte generations are dominant and
have horizontally stems that give rise to
large leaves called frond which divided
into leaflets.
Almost all species are homosporous.
The gametophyte shrivels and dies after
young sporophyte detaches itself.
The sporophyte has stalked sporangia and
can produce an airborne spore disperse
until several meters.
The life cycle exhibits alternation of
generation between sporophyte (diploid)
and gametophyte (haploid).
 PTERIDOPHYTA – LIFE CYCLE

 The haploid spores of fern give rise to a bisexual

gametophyte.
 Both male (flagellated) and female gametes are produced
within a single gametophyte inside antheridium and
archegonium respectively.
 Fertilization mostly depends on cross fertilization between
different gametophytes.
 After fertilization, a zygote grows mitotically into new young
sporophyte on top of shriveled gametophyte.
 The mature sporophyte develops leaflet fronds which
becomes the reproductive part of the plant.
 Underside of the leaflets, are spots called sori (sorus).
 Each sorus is a cluster of sporangia performing meiosis to
produce homosporous spores. Each spore have a potential to
develop into new gametophyte.
 PHYLUM PSILOTOPHYTA - WHISKFERNS
 Most of these species are extinct and mostly found in wet, marshy
habitats in the tropics and subtropics area.
 Simple in body structure lack of true roots and leaves but possess
vascularized stems .
 Plants have both a horizontal underground rhizome and vertical aerial
stems.
 The stems are branched and always divide into two equal halves known
as dichotomous branching (primitive characteristics).
 The upright stems are usually green and are the main organs for
photosynthesis.
 The sporangia are borne directly on the erect, aerial stems, containing
sporogenous cells that undergo meiosis to produce haploid homospory
spores. Spores can be dispersed and germinate to form haploid
prothalli.
 The prothalli grow underground, are nonphotosynthetic and
symbiotically related with mycorrhizal fungi that provide them with
sugars and minerals.
EXAMPLES

Sporangia

Psilotum nodum
PHYLUM SPHENOPHYTA - HORSETAILS

 Habitats of horsetails are

commonly in wet and marshy
areas with highest height not
more than 1.3 meter.
 The genus name is Equisetum
and widely distributed in every
continent except Australia.
 Horsetails have true roots,
stems and small leaves.
 Example: Equisetum ar vense
ANATOMY OF HORSETAILS

Small leaves are interpreted as

reduced megaphylls, and fused
together in whorls at each node.
The green stems are the main
photosynthetic organ.

The stems are jointed and hollow

which impregnated with silica that
gives them a gritty structure.
REPRODUCTIVE PARTS OF HORSETAILS

• Reproductive part of the horsetails grows at the

tip of branch in conelike structure as strobilus.
• The strobilus is composed of several stalked,
umbrella-like structures, each of which bears five
to ten sporangia in a circle around a common
axis.
• Homospory spores are developed in each
sporangia.
• The life cycle is similarly alike such as in ferns
(flagellated sperm cells and needs watery
environment for fertilization). The horsetail’s
sporophyte is conspicuous plant whereas the
gametophyte is a small and tiny lobed thallus.
• Both sporophyte and gametophyte are
photosynthetic and nutritionally independent at
maturity.
 PHYLUM LYCOPHYTA – CLUB MOSSES

 Phylum that consists of homosporous

and heterosporous ferns.
 Most of plants can still be seen
nowadays, commonly distributed in wet
and marshy area such as highlands and
valleys.
 They possess true roots, rhizomes and
erect aerial stems, small scale-like
leaves (microphylls).
 The reproductive organs are borne at
the tip of reproductive stems clustered
in a conelike strobilus.
 Example of homosporous club mosses
is Lycopodium sp.
 PHYLUM LYCOPHYTA –CLUB MOSSES

 The spike moss, Selaginella sp., is

an example of heterosporous fern.
Each strobilus can develop into
microsporangia and
megasporangia.
 Microsporangia contain microspores
which germinate into male
gametophyte with sperm cells in
antheridium. Megasporangia
contain megaspores which
germinate into female gametophyte
with egg cells in archegonium .
 Heterospory is a significant
development in plant evolution
because it was the forerunner of
the evolution of seeds.
HOMOSPORES VS HETEROSPORES

Haploid spores Megaspore Microspore

END OF FERN
GROUPS