Botany and Plant Science

Sporocarp is a reproductive structure of some aquatic ferns like Marsilea. Sporocarps are functionally and developmentally modified leafwhich bears several sori. Each sori consists of sporangia of two types -mega sporangia producing simple large female megaspore and microsporangia producing many small male microspore.

The mature male gametophyte of Selaginella consists of 13 cells: 1 prothallial cell and 12 cells forming the antheridium (4 jacket cells, 4 primary androgonial cells, and 4 androcytes).

The heart-shaped prothallus is the characteristic feature of ferns and mainly belong to Polypodiaceae. They show polarity and dorsoventrally. The prothallus contains both the antheridia and archegonia which are embedded in the prothallus. Since it forms the male and female gametes the prothallus -is considered as the gametophyte.

Equisetum is characterized by its distinct jointed, ribbed, and green stems, which are capable of photosynthesis.

In the life cycle of pteridophytes, the sporophyte is diploid and produces spores through meiosis within the sporangia.

Circinate vernation is characteristic feature of division filicophyta  (e.g.,Dryopteris) while Selaginella include in division lycophyta.

The sporangiophores of Equisetum are stalked, peltate (shield-shaped) structures arranged in whorls to form the strobilus.

The prothallus is the independent, heart-shaped, haploid gametophytic phase in the life cycle of pteridophytes.

The protocorm is a tuber-like structure that develops during the early stages of the development of the sporophyte in certain species of Lycopodium.

Amphiphloic siphonostele, where phloem is present on both the inner and outer sides of the xylem, is a characteristic feature of the stem of Marsilea.

Equisetum spores possess hygroscopic, ribbon-like structures called elaters that help in spore dispersal.

The vascular bundles of Equisetum stems contain carinal canals, which are formed by the breakdown of protoxylem elements.

Equisetum plants are called scouring rushes because their stems contain significant deposits of silica, which makes them abrasive and useful for cleaning.

Equisetum is known to have very small antheridia that produce a small number of sperms compared to other pteridophytes.