Discuss the general characters of pteridophytes.

Explanation

General characters of pteridophytes are as follows `:`
(i) Pteridophytes are terrestrial plants occurring in moist shady places over soil, rocks and trunks etc.
(ii) The plant body of pteridophytes is sporophytic. It is differentiated into true roots , stem and leaves.
(iii) The stems are usually herbaceous, woody and branched.
(iv) All the vegetative parts possess vascular tissues i.e., xylem and Phloem. Secondary growth does not occur in living pteridophytes.
(v) Reproduction occurs by spores which are produced inside the sporangia. The sporangia are borne on the ventral surface of fertile leaves, called sporophylls.
(vi) The sporangia are either borne singly or in groups, called sori ( sing -sorus).
(vii) The plants may be homosporous, i.e., produce only one type of spores. For Example `:` Lycopodium, Pteridium or heterosporous i.e., produce two different types of spores. Smaller one is called microspore and larger is called megaspore.
(viii) The spores germinate to produce haploid gametophyte gametophyte, called prothallus.
(ix) The sexual reproduction is oogamous . The male sex organs are antheridia and female sex organs are archegonia.
(x) Fertilization occurs in the presence of water.
(xi) The diploid zygote is retained within the archegonial venter. It develops into an embryo which remains attached to the gametophyte.