SPORE BEARING PLANTS: THE LOWER VASCULAR PLANTS

KINGDOM PLANTAE

Bryophytes Tracheophytes
(mosses- non-vascular plants) (vascular plants)

HIGHER VASCULAR PLANTS LOWER VASCULAR PLANTS

(with megaphylls) (with microphylls)

Div. Psilophyta
-Psilotum

Pterophytes Spermatophytes Div. Lycophyta

(spore bearing) (seed bearing) -Lycopodium
FERNS -Selaginella
-Nephrolepis
Div. Arthrophyta
-Equisetum

Gymnosperms Angiosperms
(naked seed) (with fruits)

Div. Cycadophyta Div. Magnoliophyta

-Cycas revolute
-Cycas circinalis

Div. Pinophyta
-Pinus kesiya
-Pinus insularis

LVPs or lower vascular plants (FERN ALLIES)

General characteristics:

a. simple vascular tissues

b. diplo-haplantic life cycle – alternating sporophyte (2n) and
gametophyte (n) generations.
 c. Sporophyte (bigger/ more dominant) and gametophyte (smaller)
are INDEPENDENT.
d. Sporophyte is dichotomously branched.
e. With simple “leaf-like” appendages (microphylls)

I. Psilophyta: Psilotum or whisk fern

- lacks true roots and leaves

- with rhizomes-branched underground stem
- with rhizoids – function for anchorage and absorption
- with ENATIONS – small scale-like epidermal outgrowths; no veins
- HOMOSPOROUS- (one type of spores) borne in a 3 clustered sporangia-
--- SYNANGIUM.
- EXOSPORIC gametophyte germination (outside the spores)
- With bisexual gametophytes that are underground; with ANTHERIDIA
and ARCHEGONIA.
- Type of stele: PROTOSTELE.

II. Lycophyta

A. Lycopodium or club mosses

- with rhizome and true roots

 - with MICROPHYLLS – small leaf-like structures
- HOMOSPOROUS – organized in a STROBILUS
(collection of sporophylls bearing sporangia)
*sporophyll is a fertile microphyll
- EXOSPORIC gametophyte germination
- With bisexual gametophytes that underground
- Type of stele: ACTINOSTELE (star-shaped
protostele)

strobilus

microphyll

B. Selaginella or ground pines

- with rhizome and true roots; presence of

RHIZOPHORES (support roots arising from the
stem)
- with MICROPHYLLS
- HETEROSPOROUS (two types of spores) – organized
into a strobilus
- ENDOSPORIC gametophyte germination
(gametophyte develops within the spores-
sporangial wall.)
- With UNISEXUAL gametophyte
- Type of stele: POLYSTELE (3 sets of concentric
amphicribral)
 Rhizophore

Megasporophyll
Sporophyll
Megasporangium

Sporangium Megaspore

Microsporophyll
Microspores

Spores
Microsporangium
III. Arthrophyta: Equisetum or horsetail

- with true roots, stems, and leaves

- with MICROPHYLL-like projections at the joints of the stem
- HOMOSPOROUS – spores with ELATERS (strap-like structures that
uncoil upon absorption of water; to facilitate spore dispersal)
- Sporangia borne in a STROBILUS; with margins of umbrella-like
structures (SPORANGIOPHORE)
- EXOSPORIC
- Type of stele: ARTHROSTELE (modified eustele; with system of
canals)

strobilus
SPORE BEARING PLANTS: THE HIGHER VASCULAR PLANTS

DIV PTEROPHYTA: Ferns

-similar characteristics with LVPs: reproduce by spores (HOMOSPOROUS)

: independent gametophyte
: EXOSPORIC germination of gametophyte
:bisexual gametophyte

-2nd largest group; one of the most diverse

-fern sporophyte: parts

Nephrolepis
 Asplenium

Adiantum

-fern gametophyte: parts

Prothallus A-young sporophyte; B-gametophyte

SEED BEARING PLANTS: THE HIGHER VASCULAR PLANTS
SPERMATOPHYTES
General characteristics:
-reproduce by seeds
-gametophyte dependent on sporophyte
-HETEROSPOROUS
-ENDOSPORIC
-unisexual gametophyte

GYMNOSPERMS
-NO OVARY: EXPOSED OVULE: NAKED SEEDS

DIV. CYCADOPHYTA: Cycads (Cycas circinalis, Cycas revoluta)

-dioecious
-megasporophyll – loose clusters
microsporophyll – strobilus --- microsporangia with pollen grains

Cycas circinalis
(sporophyte)
 male
megasporophyll strobilus

ovule

DIV. PINOPHYTA: Pines (Pinus kesiya, Pinus insularis)

-monoecious
-staminate cone/ androstrobilus –microspores--- winged pollen grains
ovulate cone/ gynostrobilus- ovuliferous scales and ovules (seeds)

Male cone winged pollen grain

Female cone