Characteristics of Pteridophyta

The Plant Kingdom

All the eukaryotic, autotrophic, multicellular organisms are placed in this kingdom. They are mostly autotrophic but some exceptions like venus flytrap, pitcher plant, etc. show heterotrophic mode of nutrition too. These organisms have the characteristics feature of the cell wall, cell organelles like plastids whose type chloroplast consists of chlorophyll pigment that is capable of trapping the sun’s light energy to perform photosynthesis....

What are Pteridophytes?

Pteridophytes (Greek. pteron=feather, and phyton=plant) constitute one of the most primitive seedless vascular plants that reproduce using spores and have neither flowers, fruits nor seeds. Ernst Hackel called these groups of plants pteridophytes because of their pinnate or feather-like fronds. It is also known as the “Botanical Snakes” or “Snakes of the plant kingdom” and sometimes they are also known as “amphibians of the plant kingdom” because they depend on water for fertilization just like bryophytes while living on land....

Characteristics of Pteridophyta

Following are some of the general characteristics of the division Pteridophyta;...

Reproduction in Pteridophytes

Pteridophytes have a dominant sporophytic (diploid) phase that undergoes meiosis to produce spores and then comes a gametophytic (haploid) phase that undergoes mitosis to produce gametes. The gametophyte of pteridophyte bears the male sex organ called the antheridia and the female sex organ called the archegonia. Transferring the male gamete (antherozoids) to the female archegonia is achieved with the help of water. The male and female gametes then fuse to form the zygote which develops into the sporophyte that further undergoes meiosis to form the similar kind of spores (homospory)....

Life Cycle of Pteridophytes

Pteridophytes show an alternation of generation life cycle in which dominant diploid sporophytic generation takes up most of their life span whereas the haploid gametophytic generation is short-lived. Their life cycle is haplodiplontic in which the prophase and diplophase are almost equally balanced. Both the generations are independent of each other and are free-living. The diploid generation produces the spores whereas the haploid generation produces the gametes. These spores travel to different places and then in moist and damp place germinates into independent gametophytes called the prothallus which bears the male anthredia and female archegonia that forms the sperm and egg respectively. The sperm and egg fuse to form the zygote that develops into a multicellular sporophyte....

Classification of Pteridophytes

Pteridophytes are mainly classified into four classes; Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Sphenopsida, and Pteropsida....

Affinities of Pteridophytes

Pteridophytes occupy an intermediate position between bryophytes and higher vascular plants(gymnosperms and angiosperms)....

Economic Importance of Pteridophytes

Following are some of the common uses of Pteridophytes;...

FAQs on Pteridophyta

1. Why the Fern Family is called “Pteridophytes”?...