Assignment

( Diversity of vascular plant)

Topic Psilotum

Submitted To: Mam Ayesha Shafaqt

Submitted By: Dilshad Ahmad

Semester M.Sc 1st

Department Botany
Content
Occurrenc
Plant body
INTERNAL STRUCTURE
REPRODUCTION
Fertilization
Life cycle
 Psilotum

Systematic Position
Division: Pteridophyta
Class : Psilopsida
Order: Psilotales
Family: Psilotaceae
Genus: Psilotum

OCCURRENCE
Psilotum is distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. It may grow as an epiphyte on the bark
of trees. It also grows on soil where humus is abundantly available.
PLANT BODAY
The plant body is sporophyte. The plant is a small shrub. The plant body is differentiated into
rhizome and aerial branches.

1) Rhizome:
Rhizome is underground part of stem. Leaves and roots are absent on rhizome. Rhizome develops
rhizoids for absorption of water.
2) Aerial branches:
Aerial branches arise from the rhizome. Aerial branches are green and cylindrical at the base.
These branches are dichotomously branched repeatedly. Leaves are present on aerial branches.
The leaves are small and scale-like. They are irregularly scattered over these branches.
3) Sporangia:
The sporangia are borne in triads. They have very short stalks. They are borne in the axils of small
bifid leaves on the aerial branches. This triad of sporangia is called a synangium. The two lobes
of the leaf are closely united with the synangium.

INTERNAL STRUCTURE
Aerial branches: In transverse section, the aerial branches have central stele and outer cortex.
1.Cortex:
The cortex is covered by a single layered epidermis. Stomata are present in the epidermis.
The inner part of the cortex is formed of parenchymatous cells. Outer to this parenchyma are
few layers of sclerenchymatous cells. The cells in outer most part of the cortex are rich in
chloroplasts. Cambium is absent in the stem.
2.Stele:
There is a well developed endodermis between the stele and the cortex. The xylem is actinostelic.
It has six rays. A core of thick walled sclerenchymatous fibers (pith) is present in the centre of the
xylem. Phloem is present between the endodermis and xylem

Rhizome
The structure of the rhizome is similar to that of aerial branches. But pith or sclerenchymatous
tissues are not present in the centre of the xylem core. The phloem is poorly developed. The
cortex is composed of thin walled parenchyma. A mycorrhizal fungus lives in it. The cells of
lower epidermis contain rhizoids.

Leaves:
The leaves have simple structure. The epidermis is formed of cutinized cells and is without any
stomata. The internal tissue is formed of photosynthetic tissue. The leaves are without a vein.

REPRODUCTION
VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION:
Vegetative reproduction takes place by the death of the older parts of the rhizome. The younger
parts of rhizome separate from the dead rhizome. They grow as long as independent plants.
Sometimes, the upper cell of the rhizoids divides and produces a small gemma. The gemma
develops into a new rhizome after detachment.
SPORANGIUM
Psilotum is homosporous. Sporangia form groups of three on short stalks. This stalk is present in
the axils of small bifid leaf. The group of three fused sporangia is called a synangium. It is believed
that synangium is sporangiophore. It has bifid bract at its base. The sporangia develop
independently from each other. The sporangiophore divides early in a dichotomous manner. One
branch terminates in a sporangium. But the other branch again divides into two branches. Each
of which terminates in a sporangium. Thus it produces closely united three sporangia.
DEVELOPMENT OF SPORANGIA
1. Each sporangium develops from a superficial cell of the sporangiophore. This cell divides
transversely into an outer jacket initial and an inner archesporial initial.
2. The jacket initial divides to produce wall. This wall is four to five cells thick. The archesporial
initial divides to produce a mass of archesporial cells. Tapetum is not produced in Psilotum.
3. In the mature sporangium some of the archesporial cells become elongated. They are filled
with dense cytoplasmic contents. These cells act as spore mother cells. Each spore mother cell
undergoes meiosis and produces four spores. The rest of the archesporial cells disintegrate to
form protoplasmic mass or tapetal fluid. It nourishes the developing spores.
GAMETOPHYTE:
Each spore germinates to produces a small thallose gametophyte or prothallus. The gametophyte
is colourless and subterranean (underground). It has one two or more short dichotomous
branches. Gametophyte is infested with mycorrhizal fungi. There are no vascular strands in the
gametophyte. It bears numerous unicellular rhizoids. The gametophyte does not have much
internal differentiation of tissues. It is monoecious. The sex organs are produced near the
growing apex.

Antheridia
Antheridia are produced earlier than archegonia. The mature antheridium is globular structures.
It project out on the surface of the gametophyte.
Development of antheridium:
Each antheridium develops from a single superficial cell. It divides into an outer jacket initial and
an inner primary androgonial cell. The jacket initial divides to produce a single layered wall. The
primary androgonial cell divides to produces a mass of androcytes or antherozoid mother cells.
Each androcyte gives rise to a single, coiled and multiflagellate antherozoid. The antheridial wall
ruptures to release the antherozoid.
 ARCHEGONIUM
The mature archegonium consists of a neck and basal part. The neck contains one or two neck
canal cells. The basal part is embedded in the gametophytic tissue. It is without any well defined
venter. It contains a single large oosphere.
Development of archegonium
Each archegonium develops from a single superficial cell. It divides transversely into an upper primary
cover cell and a lower central cell. The primary cover cell divides to produce a group of four neck
initials. These neck initial divides to produce neck. The central cell divides transversely into a primary
neck canal cell and a primary ventral cell. Primary ventral cell functions as an egg directly.

Fertilization
The neck canal cells of mature archegonium disintegrate. It produces a pore through which
antherozoids enter the archegonium. Only one antherozoid fuses with the oosphere to produce
oospore.
Development of Sporophyte:
I. The oospore divides transversely into an upper and a lower cell.
2. The lower cell by further divisions produces a foot. Foot buried into the tissue of the
prothallus. It absorbs nourishment for the developing embryo.
3. The upper cell divides to produce a mass of cells. Its one or two peripheral cells act as apical
cells. The apical cell divides and increases the size of embryo. The gametophytic tissue completely
surrounds the young embryo like calyptra in early stages. But later, it comes out of the calyptra.
Some of its surface cells produce rhizoids. Other cells are infested with the mycorrhizal fungi and
the embryo becomes independent. The embryo by further growth becomes the rhizome.
Rhizome develops aerial dichotomous branches.
Reference
http://istudy.pk/psilotum/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilotum
http://www1.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-
online/library/webb/BOT201/PSILOTUM/PsilotumLab99.htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/psilotum