Affinities among Pteridophytes classes:
Psilopsida
They are the most primitive.
The stem is photosynthetic and dichotomously branched.
Rhizoids are present.
Leaves are mostly absent.
The sporophyte is homosporous synangium.
Examples- Psilotum and Tmesipteris.
Lycopsida
They are commonly known as club moss.
Well-differentiated plant body with adventitious root, stem,
rhizophores and leaves.
The sporophyte is homosporous or heterosporous.
Examples- Selaginella, Lycopodium.
Sphenopsida
Commonly known as horsetail.
Well-differentiated plant body with roots arising from
nodes of the underground rhizome, stem and scaly leaves.
Homosporous, sporangia are borne on strobili.
Examples- Equisetum.
General Characteristics of Pteridophytes
Commonly known as a fern.
1. Pteridophytes are considered as the first plants to be
evolved on land:
2. They are cryptogams, seedless and vascular:
3. The plant body has true roots, stem and leaves:
4. Spores develop in sporangia:
5. Sporangia are produced in groups on sporophylls:
6. Sex organs are multicellular:
7. They show true alternation of generations:
Plant body is sporophytic, dominant and can be
differentiated into root, stem and leaves in both the groups.
Gametophytic phase is of short duration.
Young leaves show circinate vernation.
Like Gymnosperms many Pteridophytes are heterosporous
(e.g., Marsilea, Selaginella).
Regular alternation of sporophytic and gametophytic phase
is present.
Distribution/Habitat of Pteridophyta:
The pteridophytes grow in diverse habitats. Mostly they show
terrestrial habits growing in moist, cool and shady places. All
pteridophytes require water for transfer of sperms to ovum to
complete the process of sexual reproduction.
A few members are aquatic (e.g., Azolla, Isoetes, Marsilea,
Salvinia) or xerophytic (Selaginella lepidophylla, S. rupestris,
Equisetum arvense) and many are epiphytic (Lycopodium
phlegmaria, Selaginella oregana, Ophioglossum vulgatum, ferns
like Polypodium, Drynaria, Pleopeltis, etc.).
Life Forms:
Pteridophytes range from small herbaceous annual (Azolla,
Salvinia) to large perennials trees (Cyathea, Alsophila). Mostly,
pteridophytes are herbaceous in nature.
Plant Body:
i. The major plant body is a nutritionally independent
sporophyte which is differentiated into roots, stem and leaves.
Some primitive members do not have true roots or leaves (e.g.
Rhynia, Cooksonia, Psilotum).
ii. The sporophyte develops from the diploid (2n) zygote. The
primary roots are ephemeral and subsequently replaced by the
adventitious roots.
iii. The stem is generally branched; either dichotomous or
monopodial.
iv. The leaves may be simple, small and sessile (e.g.,
Lycopodium, Selaginella); scale like (e.g., Equisetum) or
compound, large and petiolate as in ferns (e.g., Pteris, Marattia).
Two types of leaves are found in pteridophytes:
(a) Microphylls or Microphyllous Leaves:
The leaves are simple with a single unbranched mid-vein; the
leaf trace is not associated with any leaf gap. (Fig. 7.1 A) e.g.,
Lycopodium, Selaginella, Isoetes.
(b) Megaphylls or Megaphyllous Leaves:
The leaves are large, compound with dissected veins, the leaf
trace is always associated with leaf gap (pig. 7.1 B), e.g., Pteris,
Marattia, Marsilea.
i. The leaves and stems, in most of the cases, are provided with
filiform trichomes.
ii. A well-developed vascular system, comprising of xylem and
phloem, is present. Cambium is generally absent, thus secondary
growth does not take place in majority of the pteridophytes
except Botrychium Isoetes, and arborescent pteridophytes like
Lepidodendron, Catamites.
iii. The nature of stele varies in different groups. It may be
protostele (Psilotum, Lycopodium, Selaginella); Siphonostele
(Equisetum, Marsilea, Botrychium); dictyostele (Pteris,
Polypodium) or Polycyclic (Angiopteris, Marattia).
