Pteridophyta

Greek word: Pteron = feather,

Phyton = plant
• The name was originally given to those groups
of plants which have well developed pinnate or
frond like leaves.
• Pteridophytes are cryptogams (Gr. kruptos =
hidden, and Gamos = wedded) which have
well developed vascular tissue.
• Therefore, these plants are also known as
vascular cryptogams or snakes of plant
kingdom.
• They are represented by about 400 living and
fossil genera some 10,500 species.

• Palaeobotanical studies reveal that these plants

were dominant on the earth during the
Devonian period and they were originated
about 400 million years ago in the Silurian
period of the Palaeozoic era.
GENERAL FEATURES OF
PTERIDOPHYTES
• Pteridophytes generally occur in cool, damp, shady
places. Some extend to sandy soils.
• Plants show clear alternation of generations.
• Heteromorphic or heterologous alternation of generations is
present in the life cycle.
• The sporophytic generation is dominant and conspicuous, but
dependent on gametophytic generation early in life.
• Gametophyte is small or inconspicuous.
• The gametophyte is a free-living generation. It is
however, highly reduced and called a prothallus.
• The prothallus is made of a thin plate of cells, and usually
lacks a cuticle.
• The gametophyte bears antheridia and archegonia on same or different
prothalli.
• Sex organs are multicellular and jacketed. Antheridia are small and
sessile. Archegonia are partially embedded. Archegonial neck is 4-
rowed. The ovum remains in the archegonium.
• Sperms are bi or multi-flagellate. They require an external supply of
water to reach archegonia.
• Embryo stage is present.
• Archegonium consists of four vertical rows of neck
cells, 1-2 neck canal cells, ventral canal cell and egg.
• Antherozoids are unicellular, biflagellate (e.g.,
Selaginella) or multiflagellate (e.g., Equisetum and
ferns) and motile.
• Antherozoids are attracted towards the neck of the
archegonium chemotactically by certain substances
like malic acid) present in the mucilaginous
substance formed by the degeneration of neck
canal cells and venter canal cell.
• Water is essential for fertilization (zooidogamous).
Therefore, Pteridophytes are also known as
amphibians of the plant kingdom.
• Fertilization results in the formation of zygote or
oospore, which ultimately develops into well
developed sporophyte.
• The fertilized egg divides transversely or vertically.
Another cross wall forms a quadrant stage
producing stem, leaf, foot and root.
• Plants show heteromorphic alternation of
generation. The main plant body is sporophytic and
forms a dominant phase in the life cycle.
• The sporophytic generation consists of
true roots, stems and leaves, all with
vascular tissue.

• Except a few woody tree ferns, all living

members are herbaceous.
• Rhizophore, an intermediate stage between
root and stem, is present in Selaginella.
ROOT:
• The roots are generally adventitious.
• The primary roots are ephemeral (Short lived).
• The stem, leaves and roots develop with the help of a single two-sided or three-
sided apical cell.
LEAVES:
• The leaves may be simple, small and sessile as in Selaginella, Lycopodium,
Equisetum, etc., or very large and petiolate as in Filicinae.
• On the basis of the size of the leaves-
• Leaves can be microphylls (small without forming leaf gaps in vascular supply of
stem, e.g., Selaginella) or megaphylls (megaphyllous or large forming leaf gaps in
vascular supply of stem, e.g., most ferns).
• pteridophytes may be grouped in two categories, i.e. microphyllous and
megaphyllous.
• New leaves typically expand by unrolling
of a tight spiral called a crozier or fiddlehead.
This uncurling of the leaf is termed
circinate vernation.
• The leaf trace, if present, is single and generally unbranched but sometimes it shows
dichotomous branching.
• In megaphylls, the leaf traces are usually associated with leaf gaps. Stomata are present
on various aerial parts of the plants including stem and leaves.
• Leaves possess cuticle and stomata, except in some fossil members and primitive
modern forms.
• The spermatozoids swim up to the ovum by chemotaxis to effect fertilization.
• Members are both homosporous or heterosporous.
• In heterosporous forms, large megaspores
develop into female prothalli, bearing
archegonia; and small microspores develop
into male prothalli, bearing antheridia. Spores
may be similar (homosporous) as in majority of
pteridophytes e.g., Pteris Adiantum.

• A few plants are heterosporous, i.e., with two

types of spores, microspores and megaspores,
e.g., Selaginella, Salvinia, Marsilea.
Meiospores are formed inside sporangia by
sporic meiosis.
• In living pteridophytes, sporangia are usually borne on
leaves or on stems associated with them or on modified
leaf-like structures associated with them called sporophylls.
• A well-developed vascular system is present in all
pteridophytes.
• Only because of the presence of vascular structures
pteridophytes are called vascular cryptogams.
• The vascular system consists of xylem and phloem.
• Vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) are present.
• In xylem, true vessels are absent.
• In phloem, companion cells and sieve tube are absent.
Instead, sieve cells are present.
• Vascular tissue is usually confined to sporophytes.
• Vascular tissue is usually arranged in various kinds
of steles.
• The xylem usually consists of only tracheid.
• Vessels are absent or very rare.
• Cambium is absent; hence, they do not show
secondary growth.

• Several fossil forms of the Devonian period had no

leaves. Sporangia developed on their stems in
these forms.
• Reproduction: The sporophyte of Pteridophytes
generally reproduces by two methods i.e., Vegetative
propagation and spore production.
VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION:
• It is rare and may take place by fragmentation. The
prostrate branches develop roots and break into small
fragments each developing into a new plant.

• Certain species of Selaginella propagate by bulbils or

by smaller tuber (Ex: surface tubers in S. chrysocaulos
and underground tubers in S. chrysorrhizos).
• In Dryopteris adventitious buds arise in the axil of
leaves and are detached from the plant and form
new plants.
• In some ferns the rachis produces a vegetative bud
or gemmae, these ferns are called proliferous.
When this bud falls on the ground a new plant
develops, as in Tectaria gemmifera. Sometimes the
new plant will already start to grow while still being
attached to the rachis. Through the weight of this
small plant, the frond will bend towards the
ground. When it makes contact with the soil, the
small new fern can start to root. (Ex:
Pneumatopteris unita, Asplenium sandersonii).
(B) Asexual Reproduction:
• Takes place by means of spores.
• Sporophyte produces meiospores inside a little capsule called
sporangia.
• The development of the sporangium may be leptosporangiate
(sporangium originates from a single cell) or eusporangiate
(sporangium develops from a group of cells).
• Sporangia may be borne either on stem or leaves.
On the stem they may be terminal (e.g., Rhynia) or
lateral (e.g., Lycopodium). On the leaves
(sporophylls) they may be ventral, marginal (Pteris,
Adiantum) or dorsal (e.g., Polypodiceae).

• In Equisetum the sporangia are borne on special

structures called sporangiophores which constitute
a cone. In Marsilea, Azolla, Salvinia sporangia are
produced in sporocarps
 RESEMBLANCES OF PTERIDOPHYTES WITH BRYOPHYTES

1. Members of both the groups show heteromorphic alternation of generations.

2. Antheridia and archegonia are present in both.
3. Sex organs are jacketed and multicellular in both.
4. Motile male gamete and nonmotile female gamete are present in both.
5. Absence of asexual spores formed by the ordinary division of mitosis is shown
by both the groups.
6. Members of both bryophyta and pteridophyta show oogamous type of sexual
reproduction.
7. In all the bryophytes and some pteridophytes (Rhynia, Psilotum), rhizoids are
present instead of roots.
8. All the bryophytes as well as a large number of pteridophytes possess only one
type of spores showing homosporous condition.
9. Fertilisation in both bryophytes and pteridophytes takes place in the presence
of water.
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PTERIDOPHYTES AND BRYOPHYTES

1. Plant body in pteridophytes is sporophytic, whereas it is gametophytic in

bryophytes.
2. Plant body in pteridophytes is differentiated into roots, stem and leaves,
whereas it is thallus like in bryophytes.
3. Vascular tissues are absent in bryophytes while present in pteridophytes.
4. Roots are absent in bryophytes while present in pteridophytes.
5. Bryophytes, in general, are much smaller in size than pteridophytes.
6. Vegetative reproduction is more prevalent in bryophytes than pteridophytes.
7. Bryophytes are strictly homosporous whereas many pteridophytes are
heterosporous.
CLASSIFICATIOIN OF

PTERIDOPHYTA

BY

SMITH (1955)
 GILBERT MORGAN SMITH
(6 January 1885 – 11 July 1959)

• He was a botanist and phycologist, who worked primarily on Algae.

• He was best known for his books, particularly the freshwater Algae of
the United states, the marine Algae of the Monterey Peninsula and the
two volumes of Cryptogamic Botany.
• He was recruited to Stanford University in 1923 and in 1925 became
Professor of Botany.
• Dr. Gilbert Smith came to Hopkins as a Professor of Botany in 1925.
Positioned as faculty on the main campus, returning to teach the
summer course for the next twenty five years.
• Smith retired in 1950 but remained scientifically active until he died in
1959.
 I. Psilophyta (Psilopsida) (WHISK FERNS)
1. The plant body is a rootless sporophyte that differentiates into a subterranean rhizome
and an aerial erect shoot.
2. Branching is dichotomous in both subterranean rhizome and aerial shoot.
3. Rhizoids borne on the rhizome absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
4. Leaves often absent or if present, they are spirally arranged scale like ( e.g. Psilotum) or
leaf-like appendages (e.g. Tmesipteris) are bone.
5. The vascular tissue is of primitive type i.e., simple, cylindrical protostele with annular or
spiral tracheids.
6. Secondary growth is absent.
7. Sporangia are borne at the apex of the aerial shoots. They are either solitary (e.g.,
Rhynia) or in groups and terminal in position. There was nothing like that of sporophyll.
8. Sporangia always bearing the same type of spores i.e., they are homosporous
9. The gametophyte is known only in Psilotum and Tmesipteris (living genera) while
unknown in Psilophytales.
[Link] gametophyte is cylindrical or branched, subterranean and colourless.
11. Sex organs are partially embedded in the prothallus.
12. Antherozoids are spirally coiled and multi-flagellated
 II: Lycophyta ( Lycopsida, Lepidophyta, Lycopodophyta)

• It includes both fossil (e.g., Lepidodendron) and living Pteridophytes (five

living genera e.g., Lycopodium, Phylloglossum, Isoetes, Stylites and
Selaginella)
[Link] plant body is sporophytic and can be differentiated into root, stem and
leaves.
2. The leaves are small (microphyllous), simple with a single mid vein. They are
usually spirally arranged, sometimes in opposite fashion and or even in whorls.
3. In some cases the leaves are ligulate (e.g., Selaginella, Isoetes). The ligule is
present at the base of each leaf.
4. The vascular tissue may be either in the form of plectostele, siphonostele or
sometimes even polystele. Leaf gaps are absent.
5. Sporophylls are loosely arranged or aggregated to form strobilus or cones.
6. Some members are homosporous ( e.g. Lycopodium) while others are
heterosporous (e.g. Selaginella).
7. Heterosporous forms have endoscopic gametophytes while in homosporous
forms the gametophyte is exosporic.
8. Antherozoids are biflagellate or multi-flagellate.
9. Secondary growth does not take place except in Isoetes
 III. Sphenophyta (Sphenopsida, Calamophyta, Arthrophyta)
• It includes both fossil plants (e.g., Calamophyton, Sphenophyllum) as well as living plants (e.g.,
Equisetum). It is represented by one living genus Equisetum and about 18 extinct forms.
1. The plant body is sporophytic and can be differentiated into root, stem and leaves.
2. The stem in majority of the forms is long, jointed or articulated and is ribbed i.e., having ridges and
grooves. Stem is divisible into nodes and internodes and is developed as upright aerial branches from
the underground creeping rhizome.
3. Leaves are thin, small, scaly brown and are arranged in transverse whorls at the nodes of the aerial
branches.
4. Branches also develop in whorls from the axil of the scaly leaves.
5. As the foliage leaves are reduced to scales, the process of photosynthesis is taken up by the stem and
hence it becomes green.
6. The stem has a solid protostele (e.g., Sphenophyllum) or medullated protostele (e.g., Equisetum).
7. The sporangia are borne on specialized appendages called sporangiophores (the whole structure
resembling but not homologous with a strobilus)
8. Sporangia are developed at the apex of the fertile branches in whorls forming compact cone.
9. Most of the members are homosporous but some fossil forms are heterosporous (e.g., Catamites).
10. Gametophytes ( prothalli) may be monoecious or dioecious. Gametophytes are exosporic and green.
11. Antherozoids are large and multi-flagellate.
12. The embryo is without suspensor and is exoscopic in nature.
 IV. Pterophyta (Pteropsida, Filicophyta)
It includes the plants which are commonly known as ‘ferns’. It is represented by
about 300 genera and more than 10000 species.
1. They occur in all types of habitats. Majority of the ferns are terrestrial and
prefer to grow in moist and shady places. Some are aquatic (e.g., Azolla,
Salvinia, Marsilea), xerophytic (e.g., Adiantum emarginatum), epiphytic (e.g.,
Asplenium nidus), halophytic (e.g., Acrostichum aureum) or climbing (e.g.,
Stenochlaena).
2. Majority of the members (except some tree ferns (e.g., Angiopteris) have
short and stout rhizome. The rhizome may be creeping, upright or growing
above the soil.
3. Leaves are large, may be simple (e.g., Ophioglossum) or pinnately compound
(majority of the ferns for example, Pteridium, Marsilea, Adiantum etc.) and
described as fronds. Young fronds are circinately coiled.
4. Leaves are ex-stipulate (e.g., Filicales) while stipulate in some other groups.
5. The vascular cylinder varies from a protostele to a complicated type of
siphonostele. Solenostele, dictyostele and polystele are also found.
6. Vegetative reproduction takes place by fragmentation (e.g., Adiantum,
Pteridium), stem tubers e.g., Marsilea), adventitious buds (e.g., Asplenium
bulbiferum) or by apogamy (e.g., Marsilea).
7. Sporangia arise from placenta (a swollen cushion of cells) in groups (sori).
8. Sori develop on the margins or abaxial surface of the
leaves (sporophylls) or leaflets.
9. Sori are protected by true ([Link]) or false
indusium (e.g. Adiantum, Pteris)
[Link] sporangial development may be leptosporangiate
(e.g., Osmunda) or eusporangiate type (e.g.,
Ophioglossum).
11. The sporangia in most cases have a distinct annulus and
stomium.
12. Members may be homosporous (e.g., Pteris, Adiantum
etc.) or heterosporous (e.g., Marsilea, Azolla, Salvinia etc.).
13. The gametophyte may be exosporic or endosporic. 14.
Antheridia and archegonia are partially or completely
embedded in the gametophyte. Antherozoids are multi-
flagellated.
15. Embryogeny largely endoscopic. Embryo may or may
not have suspensor.