PTERIDOPHYTES

SELAGINELLA

CLASSIFICATION:
DIVISION: LYCOPHYTA
CLASS: LIGULOPSIDA
ORDER: SELAGINELLALES
FAMILY: SELAGINELLACEAE
GENUS: SELAGINELLA

• The genus Selaginella includes more than 700 species, out of which about 70
reported from India.
• Most of them grow on moist and shady places in the hills while a few others are
xerophytes or epiphytes.
• S. kraussiana is most common Indian species which is also commonly grown in
green houses.
• S. lepidophylla and S.rupestris are xerophytic species and S.oregana is an
epiphyte.
• The xerophytic species, S. lepidophylla and S.rupestris are sold as novelties.
These plants grow in dry soil, coil and assume a shape of ball when dry/ drought,
to prevent evaporation, but when dipped in water they become normal
(rejuvenate) green plants. Such plants are called RESURRECTION PLANT.

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EXTERNAL FEATURES:
• The various species of Selaginella are highly diverse in form.
• The leaves are arranged regularly & scattered in older stem and closely arranged
in younger portion on the stem.
• The leaves are MICROPHYLLUS i.e. the vasculature, leaf trace is produced
without a leaf gap.
• On the basis of nature and forms of stem and leaves the genus has been divided
in to two sub- genera the HOMOPHYLLUM and HETEROPHYLLUM.

a. PLANT BODY OF S.KRAUSSIANA (HETEROPHYLLUM SPECIES):

§ The sporophytic plant body is prostrate and creeping on the ground. It is
differentiated into Root, Rhizophore, stem and leaves.
§ The stem is slightly dorsi-ventral, flat and dichotomously branched. The
branches grow erect or sub-erect scandant.
§ The stem gives rise long, colorless, leafless, cylindrical, prop like, leafless
RHIZOPHORES from the points of dichotomy. The rhizophores penetrate
into the substratum and terminate into the substratum and terminate into
adventitious roots.
§ The leaves are dimorphic (of two types) attached laterally on the dorsiventral
stem. Two rows of larger ventral leaves and two rows of smaller dorsal leaves

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from four vertical rows. The larger and smaller leaves alternates with each
other.
§ Each leaf is sessile, simple, lanceolate or obovate, and has a distinct
unbranched midrib.
§ Each leaf possess small tongue like ligule attached at the base towards adaxial
surface.

b. PLANT BODY OF S. SPINULOSA (HOMOPHYLLUM SPECIES):

§ The plants are differentiated into root, stem and leaves.
§ Stem grows upright, erect and shows dichotomous branching.
§ The leaves are of only one type. They are simple, small, and sessile and
arranged spirally on the stem. Each leaf possess ligule.
§ The adventitious roots arise from the swollen base of stem.

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• LIGULE:
§ The ligule is small tongue shaped outgrowth present at the base of each
young leaf on its adaxial side.
§ Each ligule is differentiated into two parts- GLOSSOPODIUM and BODY
OF THE LIGULE
§ The glossopodium is basal hemispherical portion embedded in a cup shaped
glossopodial sheath.
§ The cells of sheath are tubular in shape and are dead.
§ The glossopodium consists of vertically elongated cells.
§ The body of ligule consists of polygonal parenchymatous cells filled with
dense protoplasm.

• Strobilus is found at the tip of the stem of the branch at maturity.

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INTERNAL FEATURES/ ANATOMY:

T.S. OF RHIZOPHORE:

• The outline of section is circular.

• Outermost single layered epidermis consists of large thin walled cells. It is
cuticularised and without root hairs.
• It is followed by a few layers of Sclerenchymatous hypodermis.
• The cortex is parenchymatous which is followed by single layered endodermis
and single layered pericycle.
• The stele is protostele i.e. central solid core of xylem is surrounded by phloem.
The xylem is monarch and exarch.

T.S. OF STEM:

• The outline of section is wavy. It is flat in few species.

• The outermost single layered epidermis consists of thick-walled cells. It is
thickly cuticularised. The stomata re absent.
• It is followed by a few layers of Sclerenchymatous hypodermis which may be
absent in few cases.
• The cortex consists of thin walled, parenchymatous cells. The cells are with
intercellular spaces.
• The centre is occupied by one (i.e monostelic) or many steles (polystelic). The
stem of S.kraussiana generally possess two steles (bistelic condition).

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• The steles are delimited from cortex by radially elongated cells of elongated
cells of endodermis are called Trabeculae. The trabeculae are separated with
each other by large air spaces called Lacunae.
• The trabeculae show casparian thickening strips in their radial walls.
• The stele is protostele (Haplostele) i.e. central solid core of xylem is
surrounded by phloem. The vascular tissue is surrounded by single layered
pericycle.
• The xylem, in monostelic condition, is diarch and exarch but in bistelic
condition it is monarch and exarch. Both the protoxylem points are situated
in opposite direction.
• The trabeculae and lacunae are absent in xerophytic species.

REPRODUCTION:

1. VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION:
a. FRAGMENTATION: not common
b. BULBILS: resting buds at the tip of the ordinary vegetative branches.
c. RESURRECTION PLANTS: S.lepidophylla, the rolled ball of these dried
plants, rejuvenate when they come in contact with favorable conditions.

2. SPORE BEARING ORGANS –STROBILI:

• Selaginela is heterosporous.

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• Two types of sporangia are produced here

a. Megasporangia and
b. Microsporangia.
• The former is produced in the axile of Megasporophyll and the later,
Microsporophyll.
• The strobilus possess both the types of sporangia in S. kraussiana.
• The strobilus has a central axis with spirally arranged Sporophylls and
sporangia at their axils.

• Ligule is present just beneath the sporangium, on the sporophyll.

• Sporangia in Selaginella develop in Eusporangiate manner.
• The sporangia have an outer wall called jacket, one layer thick.
• The archesporial cells results in the formation of sporogenous tissue. 10-20
% of them disintegrate.
• Sporocytes or spore mother cells are the remaining functional ones.
• They undergo meiosis to produce 4- haploid spores.
• Unlike most pteridophytes, the microspores or megaspores develop
respectively in to Microgametophytes or Megagametophytes, before they
shed off from the sporangium.

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• In Megasporangia, only one spore mother cell functions and all others
disintegrate.
• It divides meitotically to produce 4- haploid spores –Megaspores.
• The Megasporangia are four lobed as seen from top. Their walls are very
thick.
• Both Micro and Megasporangia have a layer of nutritive tissue called
Tapetum.

MICROGAMETOPHYTE:

• The microspore germinates to give rise to a 13 – celled microgametophyte,

while in the microsporangium itself.

Structure of macrogametophyte with androgonial tissue and mature

Spermatozoid
• The 13 – celled microgametophyte is disseminated.

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• It is much reduced, never overgrowing the bounds of microspore wall.

• As many as 256 androcytes (spermatozoids) are produced from each
microspore.
• It is interpreted that two antheridia are produced per microgametophyte. It
may be four in S. kraussiana.

MACROGAMETOPHYTE OR MEGAGAMETOPHYTE:

• Macrogametophyte also begins to develop while the macrospore is still

within the sporangium.
• Macrospore enlarges in size, secretes a 2- layered spore wall.
• Continuous nuclear division occur resulting in a multinucleate protoplast,
with a large central vacuole.
• Cellular tissue starts growing at the pyramidal end, 2-3 cells in thickness.
• Cellular part is separated from the multinucleate portion by a layer celled
diaphragm.
• Archegonia develop from the cellular tissue. The macrogametophyte may be
ejected from the sporangium-
a. Before any trace of cellular organization is evident.
b. Shortly after the first archegonia are formed.
c. Or, it may be retained within the sporangium until after fertilization.

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d. Sometimes even after a considerable development of the embryo.

Development of Archegonia in Megaspore

FERTILIZATION:

• It takes place while the macrogametophyte is still within the

macrosporangium -or – after it has fallen on the ground.
• The Microgametophytes which are fallen on the 4- lobed macrosporangia,
release the antherozoids, toward archegonia.
• Thus fertilization is ensured.

THE NEW SPOROPHYTE:

• The developing embryo of Selaginella is pushed deep into the

macrogametophyte, by means of a suspensor (susp.).
• The developing embryo absorbs food through its well-developed foot and
soon grows into a young sporophyte plant, with a stem, two tiny leaves or
cotyledons and a primary Rhizophore.

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• In S. rupestris and S. apoda, the Megagametophytes are never shed from the
megasporangium.
• The young embryo rows into a seedling, develops primary root and then falls
on the ground.

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