Phylum Pteridophyta

                        PHYLUM PTERIDOPHYTA

~ Phylum pteridophyta includes all ferns, horsetails and club mosses

   UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF PTERIDOPHYTES

   Grow in shady and damp habitat

~Seedless vascular plant

~The sporophyte is large with true root, stem and leaves

   Exhibit alternation of generation in the life  cycle

~The sporophyte generation is dominant to the gametophyte generation

~Gametophyte are reduced to a simple thallus known as prothallus

*Homosporous ferns, the ferns that only produce one type of spore.The spore develops into a bisexual gametophyte which consists of both archegonia and antheridia

*Heterospore ferns , the ferns which are able to produce two types of spore (microspore and megaspore). The megaspore develop into female gametophytes. Whereas, the microspore develop into male gametophytes.

*Pteridophytes are more advanced than bryophytes because of the characteristics mentioned in above. The dominant sporophyte is an important and beneficial characteristics as the sporophyte does not depend  on the gametophyte for nutrient.The sporophyte can withstand harsh environmental conditions but not the gametophyte .

                             Classification of Pteridophytes

Phylum Lycopodiophyta (Lycopodium sp. and Selaginella sp.)

Phylum Pteridophyta (Dryopteris sp.)$$