Seedless Vascular Plants

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts related to seedless vascular plants, including their classifications, reproductive structures, and key characteristics.

Seedless Vascular Plants

Plants with vascular tissue that reproduce via spores rather than seeds.

Phyla of Seedless Vascular Plants

Four phyla: Psilotophyta, Lycophyta, Equisetophyta, Polypodiophyta.

Conducting tissue

A key vascular plant development for water and nutrient transportation.

True leaves

Leaves that are typically larger and more complex than microphylls.

Roots

Structures that anchor the plant and absorb water and nutrients.

Gametophyte

A phase in the plant life cycle that produces gametes.

Phylum Psilotophyta

Commonly known as whisk ferns.

Psilotophyta sporophyte

The dominant phase with dichotomously branched green stems and no true roots or leaves.

Psilotophyta gametophyte

Small, underground, non-photosynthetic; depends on mycorrhizal fungi.

Sporangia

Structures that produce spores; in Psilotophyta, fused in threes at branch tips.

Enations

Tiny, green, veinless photosynthetic flaps on stems of Psilotophyta.

Phylum Lycophyta

Includes ground pines, spike mosses, and quillworts.

Lycophyta sporophyte

Dominant phase with leafy plants; can form strobili.

Lycophyta gametophyte

Small, underground or surface-dwelling with sex organs.

Microphylls

Leaves with a single vein and no leaf gap.

Sporophyll

A leaf that bears a sporangium.

Strobilus

A cluster of sporophylls forming a cone.

Selaginella

Heterosporous spike mosses producing microspores and megaspores.

Isoetes

Quillworts; short aquatic plants with sporangia at leaf bases.

Phylum Equisetophyta

Commonly known as horsetails and scouring rushes.

Equisetophyta sporophyte

Dominant with jointed, ribbed stems rich in silica.

Equisetophyta gametophyte

Small, independent, short-lived, and photosynthetic.

Asexual reproduction (Equisetum)

Fragmentation of rhizomes.

Sexual reproduction (Equisetum)

Strobili at stem tips bear sporangia.

Elaters

Coiled structures that assist in spore dispersal.

Stem anatomy (Equisetum)

Includes hollow pith cavity and carinal canals.

Ancient horsetails

Flourished during the Carboniferous period (~300 million years ago).

Human uses of horsetails

Used as food source, scouring, and sharpening tools.

Phylum Polypodiophyta

Commonly known as ferns.

Polypodiophyta sporophyte

Dominant independent plant with fronds and roots.

Polypodiophyta gametophyte

Small, heart-shaped prothallus with rhizoids.

Frond

The fern leaf that unrolls from a fiddlehead.

Sorus

Cluster of sporangia on the underside of a frond.

Annulus

Row of thick-walled cells that fling spores from the sporangium.

Prothallus

The gametophyte of ferns.

Human uses of ferns

Ornamentals, air filters, food, folk medicine, thatching.

Rhizoids

Anchor non-vascular plants to substrate, absorbing water and nutrients. Appear similar to roots.