(Seed plants)

History
Smith et al., 2006
 Psilotopsida
Habit-habitat Mostly Terrestrial
Few-epiphytic
Tropical-temperate
Leaf Nodding vernation,
Scale like
Vascular tissue absent,
stomata absent, chlorophyll
absent (Psilotum)
Rhizome/Stem Fleshy errect rhizome-bearing
roots (ophioglossum),
dichotomously branched
bearing scales (Psilotum),
mycorrhizal association
(psilotum), proto stele, in
young basal part,
siphonostele in mature part
Stem
No stem (Ophioglossum),
Stem erect (Psilotum),
photosynthetic, actinostele
(younger part), siphonostele
(basal part)
Root Absent, rhizoids present
(Psilotales), Root present in
Ophioglossales but, root hair
absent. Mycorhizal association
in root.
Reproduction Vegetative
Gemma on tips o f rhizoids
(Psilotum), Adventitious buds
(Ophioglossum)
Asexual by-****, spore
formation,
Monoecious,
Sporangia Eusporangiate
Solitory or in group
Born on fertile spike.
Cauline and terminal
Equisetopsida
Terrestrial
Tropical-temperate
Scale like Microphyllus leaf,
whorl leaf arrangement at
node, nodal sheath formation,
closely applied to internodes,
non photosynthetic,
protective in function,
Rhizome branched, node,
internodes, bearing scale and
areal branches, ectophilic
siphonostele,
Stem-jointed, whorled, solid
or medulated, silicified, sterile
stem-photosynthetic,
branched, lacunate, eustele-
internode, siphonostele-node,
no leaf gaps. Fertile stem
colorless, unbranched,
bearing cone
Present, root cap present,
branched, air space in cortex,
stele proto-stele,
Vegetative by tuber
formation,
Asexual by ***, spores
formation,
Monoecious or dioecious,
Eusporangiate
Peltate sporangiophore and
form compact strobillus.
Cauline
Marattiopsida
Terrestrial,
Pantropical
Circinate vernation, leaves
large, fleshy, large frond
present, pinnately compound,
vascular bundle present, open
dichotomous venation, leaves
have swollen and stipulate
leaf base
Rhizome-Massive tuberous,
upright, subterrian,
Stele-polycyclic dictyostele,
Stem-scaly, mucilage canal
tannin filled cells present,
Present, root cap absent,
adventitious, mycorhiza
present, absent in mature
root. Mucilage canal in cortex,
tannin cells present, actino
stele
Vegetative by apical bud
or/and stipule cutting
Asexual by spores,
Sexual monoecious type.
Eusporangiate
on the abaxial side of leaf.
Foliar
Polypodiopsida
Mostly terrestrial, aquatic
Tropical-temperate
One order tree
Circinate vernation,
megaphyllous, pinnately
compound, dimorphic-sterile,
fertile, stomata present
(absent in Hymenophyllales,
vascular bundle present,
mostly ex-stipulate (genus-
stipulate in Osmunda)
Rhizome-long/short, slender,
creeping, ascending, wiry,
sub-erect, erect, stout,
protostele-polycyclic dictyo-
stele
Stem, long, slender, creeping,
wiry, climbing, erect, smooth,
covered with scale at apex,
fleshy
Present, branched, root cap
present, primary root is
replaced with adventitious
roots. Inner Cortex
sclerenchymatous, lignified,
proto stele
Vegetative from rhizome,
Asexual by spores,
Sexual monoecious /or
dioecious
Leptosporangiate
Borne singly on the adaxial
surface or in axil.
Foliar
Psilotopsida Equisetopsida Marattiopsida Polypodiopsida

Botrychium lunaria Equisetum telmateia Angiopteris evecta Osmunda regalis

Psilotum nudum
 I. Class Psilotopsida
A. Order: Ophioglossales
1. Family: Ophioglossaceae

Type species. Ophioglossum

Terrestrial (a few epiphytic)

Temperate and boreal but few pantropical.
Vernation nodding (not circinate)
Rhizomes and petioles fleshy
Root haris lacking
Aerophores absent
Fertile leaves each with a single sporophore
Sporangia large 2 cells thick wall
Lacking an annulus
Spores globose-tetrahedral, trilete, many (>1000) per sporangium
Gametophyte-subterranean, non-photosynthetic, mychorrhizal, x=52.
 Plant Description

Adders-tongues are so-called because the spore-bearing stalk is thought to

resemble a snake's tongue. Each plant typically sends up a small,
undivided leaf blade with netted venation, and the spore stalk forks from
the leaf stalk, terminating in sporangia which are partially concealed
within a structure with slitted sides.When the leaf blade is present, there is
not always a spore stalk present, and the plants do not always send up a
leaf, sometimes going for a year to a period of years living only under the
soil, nourished by association with soil fungi.
The plant grows from a central, budding, fleshy structure with fleshy,
radiating roots.
Life Cycle of Ophioglossum
 2 Psilotales
Psilotum

Salient Features of Psilotum:

1. Commonly known as whisk ferns
2. The sporophytes are dichotomously bran­ched with an underground rhizome and
upright branches.
3. The upright branches are leafless.
4. Rhizoids present instead of roots.
5. Stem has a relatively simple vascular cylin­der.
6. The sporangia are borne in groups (trilo­cular) and form synangia.
7. Spores produced are all alike (homosporous).
8. The development of gametophyte is exosporic and form monoecious subterranian
gametophyte.
9. The development of embryo is exoscopic.
Psilotum
Life Cycle of Psilotum