CHARACTER ALGAE BRYOPHYTE PTERIDOPHYTE GYMNOSPERM ANGIOSPERM

Habitat  Mostly aquatic  Amphibians of Plant K. 

 Some grow on other plants
 Some symbiotic Lichen on
Sloth Bears
Veg. Structure  Thallus,
 Unicellular
o Motile – Chlamydomonas
o Non Motile - Chlorella
 Multicellular
o Unbranched – Spirogyra
o Branched – Chara
o Macroscopic – Sargassum,
sea weed
o Colonial - Volvox
Spl. cell wall Inner Cellulose, Outer Pectin
Pigments  Chl – a – All
 Acessory – Chl – b, c, d;
carotenes, phycocyanin,
phycoerythrin, xanthophyll
Reserve food Starch, Laminarin starch,
Mannitol, Floridean starch
Reproduction  Fragmentn – filamentous
 Cell division – Unicellular
 Spores – Motile (zoospores)
or non-motile (akinete/
oospores)
 Sexual – Gametes (Motile/
non-motile)
(Iso – Chlamydomonas
(motile), Spirogyra (non
motile)/ Aniso –
Chlamydomonas some spp./
Oogamous – Volvox, Fucus)
Sporophyte  Reduced and diploid
 Dependent on gametophyte
Gametophyte  Dominant and haploid
 Independent
Seeds Absent
Flower, Fruit Absent
Vascular Absent
System
Other
 Mostly terrestrial
 Need H2O for fertilization
 Moist, shady regions
 Thalloid – Liverworts
 Foliose – Leaf-like -
Mosses
 True roots absent, root-
like rhizoids – Unicellular o Microphylls – (i) Scaly –
(Liverworts)/
Multicellular (Mosses) –
Absorb H2O, nutrients and o Macrophyll - Pinnate - Ferns
fixation
Inner Cellulose, Outer Pectin Inner Cellulose, Outer Pectin
 Chl – a – All
 Acessory – Chl – b, c, d;
carotenes, xanthophyll
Starch
 Vegetative prop. –
Fragmentation, tuber &
gemma
 Asexual – Spores
 Sexual - Gametes
 Reduced and diploid
 Patially Dependent on
gametophyte
 Dominant and haploid
 Independent
Absent
Absent
Absent
 760 genera, 24000 spp
 Imp. Role in succession
on bare rocks/ soil
Mostly terrestrial

Need H2O for fertilization

Moist, shady regions

Aquatic – Azolla, Marsilea

Xerophytic – Equisetum

Epiphytic - Lycopodium

Annual or perennial

True Root (adventitious), stem,
leaves
 Leaves –
Equisetum (ii) Simple Sessile –
Lycopodium
 Paleozoic era – golden age of
pteridophytes
 Chl – a – All
 Acessory – Chl – b, c, d;
carotenes, xanthophyll
Starch
 Vegetative – Stolon
 Asexual spores produced in
Sporangia
o Mostly homosporous – E.g.
Lycopodium
o Heterosporous – Salvinia,
Selaginella
o Strobili – Selaginella,
Equisetum
 Sexual – Gametes
 Apogamy – Haploid sporophyte
without fertilisn
 Apospory – Diploid gametophyte
w/o meiosis
 Dominant, diploid
 Independent
 Prostate and erect
 Reduced, haploid
 Independent
Absent
Absent
 Primitive Vascular
 Tracheids & Sieve cells
 400 genera, 10500 spp
Mostly perennial, evergreen, woody, xerophytic trees Mainly terrestrial
 Roots – Tap  Root, Stem, Leaves in variety
o Coralloid – Cycas + BGA
o Mycorhizzae – Pinus – Root + endophytic fungus
 Stem – Mostly erect, aerial, solid, cylindrical
o Unbranched – Cycas
o Branched – Conifers - Pinus and Cedrus
 Leaves – Dimorphic (adaptation)
o Foliage – Simple, needle like/ pinnately compound
o Scale – Small, brown membranous
Inner Cellulose, Outer Pectin Inner Cellulose, Outer Pectin
 Chl – a – All  Chl – a – All
 Acessory – Chl – b, c, d; carotenes, xanthophyll  Acessory – Chl – b, c, d; carotenes,
xanthophyll
Starch Starch
 Vegetative bulbils  Vegetative – Tubers, rhizomes, etc. (Refer
 Asexual – heterosporous MOFP)
o P.G. in microsporangia  Asexual – heterosporous to form
o Megaspores in megasporangia gametophyte
o They are formed in sporophyll which aggregate to o P.G. in microsporangia
form cones/ strobilus/ lax o Megaspores in megasporangia
 Sexual – Gametes – Anemophilous (wind), direct o Ovule in megasporophyll
pollination (on ovule) – siphonogamous (pollen tube)  Sexual – Gametes - Pollination indirect (on
stigma) and siphonogamous – may be SP or
CP – aided by accessory whorls (sepals and
petal)
 Double Fertilisation
o MG + Egg = Zygote
o MG + Sec. nucleus = PEN
 Dominant, diploid  Dominant, diploid
 Independent  Independent
 Recessive, haploid  Recessive, haploid
 Dependent on sporophyte  Dependent on sporophyte
 Phanerogams w/o ovary  Present
 Non-flowering, naked seeds  Present
 Tracheids and Sieve cells  Xylem – Trachea/ Vessels
 Sec. growth due to presence of cambium  Sieve tubes & Companion cells
 Annular rings are distinct
 70 genera, 7255 spp; India -16 genera, 53 spp.  Smallest wolffia – 1mm
 Living fossil – Gingko biloba  Tallest – Eucalyptus – 100 m
 World’s tallest living – Sequia sempervirens -
Californian Giant red wood – 366 feet
 Largest girth – Taxodium mucronatum – 125 ft
 Smallest – Zamia pygmia – 25 cm