General characters of pteridophytes biology discussion
Answers
(i) Majority of the living Pteridophytes are terrestrial and prefer to grow in cool, moist and shady places e.g., ferns. Some members are aquatic (e.g., Marsileci, Azolla), xerophytic (e.g., Selaginella rupestris, Equisetum) or epiphytic (e.g., Lycopodium squarrosum)
ii) Majority of the Pteridophytes are herbaceous but a few are perennial and tree like (e.g., Angiopteris). Smallest Pteridophyte is Azolla (an aquatic fern) and largest is Cyathea (tree fern).
iii) Plant body is sporophytic and can be differentiated into root, stem and leaves.
(iv) Roots are adventitious in nature with monopodial or dichotomous branching. Internally usually they are diarch.
(v) Stem is usually branched. Branching is monopodial or dichotomous. Branches do not arise in the axil of the leaves. In many Pteridophytes stem is represented by rhizome.
(vi) Leaves may be small, thin, scaly (microphyllous e.g., Equisetum), simple and sessile (e.g., Selaginella) or large and pinnately compound (megaphyllous e.g., Dryopteris, Adiantum).
(vii) Vascular tissue is present in stem and root. It consists of xylem and phloem. Xylem consists of tracheids only and phloem has only sieve tubes.
(viii) The steel is protostele (e.g., Rhynia, Lycopodium), siphonostele (e.g., Equisetum), dictyostele Adiantum) or polycyclic (e.g., Angiopteris).
(ix) Cambium is absent; hence, they do not show secondary growth.