Pteridophyte

Gr. Pterions= feather like + phyta =plant

It is the group of vascular cryptogams which bear feather like leaves on them.

Characters

• The main plant body is saprophytic usually differentiated into root stem and leaves.
• They are found on moist and shady places.
• They are also called vascular cryptogams.
• They bear feather like leaves on them.
• The male sex organ is antheridium which produces antherozoid.
• The female sex organ is archegonium which produces an egg.
• Water is essential for feralization.
• Both sporophyte and gametophyte are independent.
• They may be homosporous or heterosporous
• They show alternation of generation.

Dryopteris (Aspidium)

Classification:

Kingdom; plantae

Division; tracheophyte

Class: Pteropsida

Order; Filicales

Family; polypodiaceae

Genus; Dryopteris
Occurrence;

They are cosmopolitan in distribution and mostly. Found in moist and shady places.

Morphology:

The sporophytic plant body is differentiated into the root stem and leaves.

Root:

It consists of adventitious root which is multicellular and brown in color. It helps in absorption and
fixation.

Stem:

It consists of underground modified fleshy stem called rhizome. It bears foliage leaves from upper
surface and adventitious root from lower surface.

Leaves;

It consists of petiolate leaf and the petiole continues above int rachis. The rachis bears several
leaflets on its lateral side. Such type of leaf is called pinnately compound leaves, in younger leaves
apex is curved called circinate leaf which is covered by brown scales called ramenta. On ventral
surface of mature leaflet, there are several kidney shaped structures present called sorous.
Reproduction

1. Vegetative reproduction:
a. Fragmentation;

During this process older parts of rhizome die and decay gradually. When the process of decaying
reaches up to the point of branching rhizome is fragmented. Each fragment later develops into new
individual.

b. Adventitious bud

They are developed on petiole or leaf lamina. They get detached from the mother plant which later
develop into new individual.

2. Asexual reproduction;

It reproduces asexually by producing spores, the spores are produced inside the sorous.

Sorous:

Sorous is kidney shaped in structure and

present on ventral side of mature leaflet.
Internally each sorous consist of swollen
placenta which bears numerous sporangia
of various ages. All the sporangia are
covered by a membranous structure
called indusium.
 Sporangium;

Each sporangium consists of slender,

multicellular stalk and spore sac. The
spore sac is covered by single layer of
jacket wall which consist of two distinct
regions i.e. anulus region (smaller thick-
walled cells) and stomium region (larger
thin walled cells). The jacket wall
encloses the mass of spore mother cells
which divide meiotically to produce
haploid spores.

When sporangium become mature its

jacket wall rupture from stomium region
and hence spores, liberated out.

Germination of spores;

Spores on getting favorable condition

absorbs large amount of water, swell up
and exert pressure. Such pressure causes
the bursting of outer wall resulting. The
formation of germ tube. The germ tube
divide into prothallial cell and rhizoidal
cell which later develop into prothallus
and rhizoids respectively.
Structure of mature prothallus (gametophyte)

Mature prothallus is heart shaped, flat and

multicellular. It is composed of green
cells hence autotropic and independent in
nutrition. I t consists of a deep apical
notch consisting growing point. It is few
layered thick at the middle but gradually
thins out towards the margin, numerous
rhizoids arise from ventral surface. Near
the posterior end which helps in
absorption and fixation.

It is monoecious and bears both sex

organs on its ventral surface. The
archegonia are present near the apical
notch whereas antheridia are present near
the posterior end. The male sex organ
matures earlier than female. So, it is
protandrous and the phenomenon is
called protandry.

Sexual reproduction

It is monoecious and bears both sex organs on its ventral surface. The archegonia are present
near the apical notch whereas antheridia are present near the posterior end. The male sex organ
matures earlier than female. So, it is protandrous and the phenomenon is called protandry.
 1. Antheridium

hemispherical in structure. It consists of

single layer of jacket wall. Compose of two
ring cells in height and encloses a mass of
androcyte mother cells which later
metamorphose into antherozoid. Each
antherozoids is spirally coiled and
multiflagellate.

When antheridium become mature it absorbs

water, swell up and exert pressure. Such

The male sex organ antheridia are present on pressure causes the rupturing of jacket wall

ventral surface near the posterior end. Each liberating out antherozoids.

antheridium is small, sessile and

2. Archegonium

Female sex organ archegonia ate present near the apical notch. Each archegonium is small, sessile
and flask shaped in structure. It is differentiated into swollen venter and narrow neck. The venter
does not have its own jacker wall but embedded in prothalial cell. The venter consists of an egg
cell and a venter canal cell whereas neck consists of single binucleate neck canal cell.

When archegonium become mature its venter canal cell and neck canal cell disintegrate into
mucilage which absorbs water, swell up and exert pressure such pressure cause the opening of cap
cell making a path up to egg cell.

Fertilization

It takes place in presence of water. Male gamete antherozoid swim along the water medium and
reach up to archegonium. A number of antherozoid enter into the archegonium but only one of
them fuses with egg to form zygote.

Development of young sporophyte

During the development of sporophyte, the

zygote divides into upper epi basal cell and
lower hypo basal cell. These cells divide and
redivide to form octant stage (eight cell
stage). four epi basal cells of the octant stage
later develop into stem and leaves whereas
four hypo basal cells into foot and root. The
young sporophyte is dependent on prothallus
(gametophyte) in earlier stage but later, on
getting mature, it develops its own root
system and become independent.
Life cycle of Dryopteris

The life cycle of Dryopteris consists of two distinct generations i.e. gametophytic and sporophytic
generation, one altering with another. This phenomenon of altering gamethophytic generation and
sporophytic generation with each other is known as alternation of generation. It can be described
in the reference of life cycle of Dryopteris as below.

1. Sporophytic generation

All the diploidic phases of plant life cycle are known as sporophytic generation. The zygote
produced after fertilization represent the first stage of sporophytic generation. The zygote produced
after fertilization represent the first stage of sporophytic generation. It divides into epi basal cell
and hypo basal cell. The epi basal cell later develops into stem and leaves whereas hypo basal into
foot and root. The mature spopophytic plant is differentiated into root, stem and leaves.

It reproduces vegetatively by fragmentation and adventitious bud. Asexually it reproduces by the

production of spores which are present inside the sorous. Each sorous is kidney shaped in structure
and present on ventral surface of leaflet. Internally each sorous consists of numerous sporangia of
various ages covered by indusium. Each sporangium is differentiated into long slender
multicellular stalk and oval or rounded spore sac. The spore sac encloses a mass of spore mother
cells which later divide meiotically producing haploid spores, the spores then enters into the
gametophytic generation.

2. Gametophytic generation

All the haploidic phases of plant life cycle which involve in the production of gamete are known
as gametophytic generation. The spore when obtain favorable condition, it divide into prothalial
cell and rhizoidal cells which later develops into prothallus and rhizoids. The mature prothallus is
flat multicellular and heart shaped in structure. It is composed of all green cells hence autotrophic
and independent in nutrition. It is monoecious and bear both sex organs on its ventral surface.

The male sex organ antheridia are present towards the posterior end. Each antheridium is small,
sessile and hemispherical in structure. It consists of single layer of jacket wall enclosing a mas of
androcytes mother cell, which later metamorphose into antherozoid. Each antherozoid is spirally
coiled and multi-flagellate. When antheridium become mature, its jacket wall rupture by liberating
out the antherozoids.

the female sex organ archegonia are present near the apical notch. Each archegonium is small
sessile, flask shaped and differentiated into swollen venter and narrow neck. The venter consists
of an egg cell and venter canal cell whereas neck consists of single binucleate neck canal cell.
When it becomes mature its venter canal cell and neck canal cell disintegrate into mucilage, absorb
water and cause opening of capo cell making a path up to egg cell. Then fertilization takes place
in presence of water to form zygote which enter into the sporophytic generation.

In this way life cycle of Dryopteris consists of two generation i. e. gametophytic and sporophytic
generation altering one with another. This is called alternation of generation.
 Economic importance

1. Pteridophytes are used in the horticulture. The different species of Selaginella are grown
as the garden plants.
2. Some of the ferns are used in handicrafts; petioles of certain ferns are used for making
basketry and bracelets.
3. Pteridium leaves are used for making the green dye.
4. Some pteridophytes are eaten as food.
5. Some are dinitrogen fixers example is the Azolla. It’s an economically valuable species
which is used as a bio fertilizer.
6. Some members of pteridophytes are noxious weed like Salvinia, Pteridium which are
weedy aquatic ferns.