LYCOPODIUM

Division LYCOPHYTA

Class ELIGULOPSIDA

Order LYCOPODIALES
i'amily LYCOPODIACEAE
LYCOPODIUM STROBILUS
Genus

FERTILE ZONE
STALK
STERILE ZONE

FERTILE ZONE LEAVES

SPORANGIA

LEAVES

STEM
STEM

ROOT
ROOT

Lycopodium selago showing selago condition Lycopodium clavatum, External features of plant oody

STROBILI

STEM

LEAVES

STROBILUS

LEAVES

STEM

Lycopodium phlegmaria. External features of plant body Lycopodium cernum. External features of plant
body
 The
(Choudhury.genus LYCOPODI
species are 1937).includes 200
The plants speciesout UMwhich
of
terrestrial
are epiphytes on higherand grow on are commonl y about 33 reported
koownand
humus soil in moist as club
fromIndia

EXTERNAL FEATURES:
plants. shady
mosses'. Most of the
places. However, some
1. The plant body is
2.
evergreen
The
herbs. divided into root, stem and leaves.
mous
plants consist of slender, erect or They are delicate,
stem isbranching. The creepling stems which give rise to dichoto-
3. The erect and pendentbranches
in some
in some
specics may be monopodial. The
4.
roots are
The leaves adventitious and mostly cpiphytic species (e.g., L. phl«gmaria).
simple, Sessile,densely cover the stem and dichotomously
vary in theirbranched.
unbranched mid rib. entire and narrowly elongated. Eachform. They are small,
leaf possesses S3
On the basis of general
divided into two sub-genera-(i) organization of sporophytic plant body the genus nas o
The sub-genera UrostachyaUrostachya and (ii) Rhopalostachyu.
includes some common species like L. selago, L. phieg
maria, L. sequarrosum, etc. whereas
L. inundatum, L. volubile, etc. Rhopulostachya includes L. clavatum, L. cernuum,
A fewcommon species are described below
(Ú) Plant body of Lycopodium selago:
1. The plant body consists of erect, dichotomously
are never creeping.
branched, aerialstem. They
2. The roots are dichotomously branched and arise from the basal part of the
stem.
3. The plants do not produce organized strobili. The sporophylls are similar to
the foliage leaves.
4. The sporangia are borne on the adaxial surface at the base of sporophylls.
The plants show alternating sterile and fertile zones on the stem. The fertile
5.
zone consists of sporophylls whereas sterile zone bears foliage leaves. This
alternating arrangement of sterile and fertile zones on the axis called selago
is
condition.
(ü) Plat body of Lycopodium phlegmaria : on tree trunks.
This species grows as epiphyte
1. branched and terminate nto strobili.
The stems are pendulous, dichotomously
2. portionof stem.
3.The roots arise from basal
isophyllous and spirally arranged on the stem.
4.The leaves are small,
and dichotomously branched. The sporophylls are
S.The strobili are long leaves.
smaller than the vegetative
clavatum branches
(n) Plant body of Lycopodiam consists of creeping rhizome which gives rise aerial
1. The plant body dichotomous. axis.
The branching is rootsarise from creeping leafy
2. The
adventitious densely covered with small leaves which are spirally
branches are
3. The stem modified branches.
arranged. strobiliare borne on special
distinct and closely appressed around cone axis. Bach sporo
The
4
Sporophylls aresmall flange.
5. The provided with abaxial
phyllis
 LYCOPODIUM

EPIDERMIS

oUTER cORTEX (SCLERENCHYMATOUS)

-MIDDLE CORTEX (PARENCHYMATOUS)
INNER CORTEX (SCLERENCHYMATOUS)
ENDODERMIS
PERICYCLE
METAXYLEM

PROTOXYLEM

PHLOEM

CHLORENCHYMA

EPIDERMIS

Lycopodium clavatum T.S. of stem (diagrammatic)

EPIBLEMA OUTER cÒRTEX
ROOT HAIR

MIDDLE CORTEX

INNER CORTEX

ENDODERMIS.
PERICYCLE

METAXYLEM
PROTOXYLEM

PHLOEM

Lycopodium selago T.S. of root

L. clavatum, T.S. of stem A part cellular)

 237
(i) Plant body of Lycopodium cernuun :
1. The plant body is terrestrial consists of a creeping stem which gives rise to erect,
aerial branches.
2. The branching is dichotomous but looks
resemble fir trces.
oks like monopodial. The plants
The branches may attain a height upto 2 feet or more.
3. All the foliage leaves are alike andarranged in whorls on stem.
4,
The strobili are comparatively small. They are sessile and borat on tips of
aerial branches.
S. Each sporophyll is provided with abaxial Aange.
INTERNAL FEATURES:
T.S. of root:
1. The outline of section is circular.
2. The outermost single layered epidermis consists of thin walled cells. Some
epidermal cells divide by oblique walls (or anticlinal walls) giving unicelular
root hairs. The root hairS are thus, arise in pairs.
3. The cortex Is divided into two regions. In L. selagoor L. pithyoides the
outer cortex is thickwalled sclerenchymatous and inner cortex is thin walled
parenchymatous. In L. clavatum the outer cortex is parenchymatous and inner
cortex is sclerenchymatous.
4. The cortex is followed by single layered endodermis, which is not well deve
loped.
5. The stele is protostele. It is monoarch or diarch (e.g., L. selago), sometimes
tetrach. in L. claratunn the stele is plectostele.
6. The diarch xylem is C-shaped with protoxylem present at the tips of C.
7. The phlvem is present in the centre surrounded by xylem.
T.S. of stem of Lycopodium clavatum :
of leaves.
A. The outline of section is wavy due to allachmentinterrupted
single layercd. It is with stomata. The outer
2. The outermost epidermis is cutinized.
walls of epidermal cells are differentiated into thrce zones outer
3. The epidermis is followcd by cortex, which is
cortex, middle cortex and inncr cortex.
sclerenchymatous cells. A few cells, below
4. The outer cortex consists of thick-walled
the epidermis, may be green chlorenchymalous.
thin-walled parenchymatous cells.
S. The middle cortex consists of sclerenchymatous cells.
6. The inner cortex consists of thick-walled differcntiatcd in maturc stcm.
Endodermis is single layered. It is not well pericycle, consisting of thin-walled
Endodermis is followed by one or many layered
8. compact parenchymatous cells. the
The stele is protostele, i.e., vascular elements lorm a solid axial cylinder in which
tissues.
9. phlocm. It consists of only primary
central core of xylem is surroundcd by protoxylem towards the periphery,.i.C.,
The metaxylem is situated in thc centre and
exarch condition.
in the form of separale plates or bands. The xvlem plates alternate
0. The xylem occurs plectostele.
with phloem. This type of protostcle is called
f rrupted with stomata. The
 :OPODIUM
SPOROPHYLL

SPOROPHYLLS

SPORANGIUM

LINE OF
DEHISCENCE
FOLIAGE
LEAVES

A leaf
Single sporophy# 'bearing
sporangium
Lycopodium clavatum
strobilus SPOROPHYLL
SPORES WALL
SPORE SAC
SPORES
SPORANGIUM

AXIS OF
STROBILUS

STALK

SPORANGIA V.s. of sporangium

EMPTY ARCHEGONIA
ANTHERIDIUM

SPOROPHYLL

ANTHERIDIA

STALK

PALISADE
TISSUE

(Micehig
STORAGE
TISSUE

RHIZOIDS
Lycopodium LS. of strobilus (diagrammatic)

Lycopodium V.s. of prothallus (diagrammatic)

STROBILUS OR CONE:
Some species of Lycopodium (e.g., L. cluvatum, L. cernum, etc.) bear definite strobili
at the apices of their aerial branches. However, in few species (e.g. L. selago) the strobili
are not formed.
Each strobilus consists of a central axis around which the sporophylls are compact ly,
spiraliy arranged.
The sporophyll :
1. The sporophyllis a modified leaf which bears sporangia. It is comparatively
smaller in size.
2. The sporophyll nas wide base and serrated margin.
3. It bears single sporangium near the base of its upper (adaxial) surface.
4. The sporangium is kidney shaped, black in colour, shortly stalked and dehisces
along a transverse line.
S. The sporangium is homosporous i.e., bears .only one type of spores.
L.S. of strobilus (cone) :
It consists of a long central axis around which the sporophylls are arranged
spirally.
c2 The position of sporangia may be axillary (i.e., in the angle between the
sporophyll and the axis) or epiphyllous (i.e., borne on the adaxjal surfce of the
sporephyl).
rEach sporangium is kidney shaped attached to the sporophyl with the help of
a short, massive stalk.
4 The wall of sporangium is several layered of which the innermost is tapetum.
S . The sporangia are homosporous illed with one type of spores. The spores are
arranged in tetrads.
6. The sporophylls, in some species (e.g. L. clavatum) show abaxial fange to
protect the sporangia below.
PROTHALLS
1. Prothallus is gametophyte produced by germination of spore. It is bisexual
bears both antheridia and archegonia.
2. Size and structure varies in diferent species. It is 2-3 mm in length.
3. Prothalli may be subterrancan orsub-aerial. They bear unicellular rhizoids.