SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

LQ: Explain the external morphology of Nephrolepis. Add a note on its

classification.
External Morphology
Sporophyte is the dominant stage and
it is differentiated into roots, stem and
leaves with true vasculature (conductive
strands).
Roots
Roots arise from base of the stem and
stolon forming adventitious fibrous root
system. They show persistent root hair.
They absorb mineral salts and water and
fix the plant in the soil.
Stem
Stem is about two inches in height, thick,
woody, brown in colour. It is called rhizomatic
stem or stock or caudex because it is obliquely
placed in the soil and partially underground. It
produces stolons and compound leaves from its aerial parts and adventitious fibrous
roots from the underground part. It is rough due to persistent leaf bases.

Stolons
Position : Stolons arise from rhizomatic stem and are extra-axillary
extra in position.
Structure : These are wire-like,
wire like, thin branches which are green when young and turn
brown, at maturity. Each stolon grows slightlv upwards and bends downwards to form
an arch in the soil. At the touching point, stolon produces adventitious roots below and
bud or spur above, which develops into new sporophyte.
Function : As the stolon gives rise to new sporophytes. it performs the function of
vegetative reproduction.

Leaves
Position : Leaves are spirally arranged on the aerial parts of the stem.
Structure : Each leaf is pinnately compound and shows central axis differentiated into
rachis and petiole (stipe). On rachis, leaflets are arranged on either side to form frond. Each
leaflet is almost sessile and show's lobed or auricled base. Upper auricle is large than the lower
lo
one. The leaflet is lanceolate in shape, with crenate margin and acute apex. There is single midrib
but lateral veins are bifurcated at the tip to form forked venation. The leaflet shows presence of
hydathodes on the adaxial surface at each vein ending and sori on abaxial surface at the upper
vein ending of each bifurcated vein. The young leaves are silvery white in colour and are coiled
from apex downward to form circinate ptyxis.
Function : Leaf performs following functions :
i) It performs the function of photosynthesis.
ii) It removes excess of water by process of guttation and transpiration.
iii) It performs the function of asexual reproduction by producing sori.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

SN: Systematic position of Nephrolepis

Division : Pterophyta i) Sporophyte differentiated into roots, stem and leaves.

Sporangia produced on leaves, either along the

ii)
margin or on abaxial side.

iii) Large pinnately compound leaves.

iv) Gametophyte is small, green and free-living.

Characters same as above (Only class of the
Class - Filicinae division)

Sub-class i Leptosporangiatae i) Sporangium develops from single initial cell.

Jacket of the sporangium is one cell in

ii)
thickness.

Sporangia are not laterally united to form

iii)
synangium.

Order : Filicales i) Sori are simple, gradate or mixed.

All the spores are of same type, hence son are
ii)
homosporous.
Family ; Polypodiaceae i) Sori are of mixed type.
Sporangium has vertical annul us and
ii)
transverse dehiscence, with stomhim.
iii) Sporangium contains 32 to 64 spor=
In the early stages the game is
iv)
filamentous and at maturity becomes heart-shaped.
Jacket of antheridium has 3 cells. Antherozoids are
v)
relatively few in number.
Genus : Nephrolepis i) Spores with kidney-shaped indusium.

ii) Each sporangium contains 64 spores.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

SN: Ramentum

Position : These are brown scale-like

like epidermal outgrowths densely
covering the rhizome, stolons, petiole and rachis.
Structure : Each ramentum is multicellular, membranous, more or
less triangular structure which is single cell in thickness. The cells are dry
with thick brown walls. The marginal cell gives out hair like projections.
The ramentum is attached to the epidermis
epidermis at the broader end by a dark
brown point of attachment.
Function : Ramenta are protective in function, guarding the plant
from excessive heat and rain water. They also retain water in their axils to
provide humidity.

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SN: Hydathode

Position:: These are white dots arranged in

two longitudinal rows on adaxial (dorsal)
surface along the margins of each pinna at
either vein ending of each bifurcated vein.
Structure : It consists of a group of
small thin walled cells sunken into a minute
oval depression and bounded by closely
placed two to three layers of rectangular
epithelial cells which are, in 'turn, surrounded
by normal epidermal cells.
Function : The glandular cell exude water
containing calcium salts, by the process of guittation
ttation (excretion in the form of liquid from
plant under root pressure). It is due to internal al pressure developed as a result of active
absorption andnd low transpiration. The cell; of hydathode are hygroscopic and at times help
to absorb moisture from the atmosphere.
osphere. They are called water stomata, as they exude
water in the form of liquid and not in the form of water vapour unlike normal stoma.
When water ter evaporates from the surface of hydathode, calcium carbonate is precipitated
as white dots, hence, hydathodes are sometimes also known as chalk glands.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

LQ: Discuss internal structure of Nephrolepis pinna passing through the sorus. OR
T.S. of pinna passing through sorus
T.S. of pinna shows upper epidermis, mesophyll, lower epidermis and sorus.
Upper epidermis consists of single layer of closely packed, brick-shaped,
shaped, chloroplasts
containing cells with their outer walls cutinized. Epidermis is distinguished by the
absence of stomata and presence of hydathode as shallow depression above vein endings.
Mesophyll consists of spongy tissue containing one one type of cells (parenchymatous) with
chloroplasts; hence, the pinna is said to be isobilateral. However, the upper cells are more
compact than lower ones. It also shows vein endings in form of group of tracheids below
hydathode.
Lower epidermis is just like
ike upper epidermis but with stoma and without hydathodes.
Sorus is attached to the lower epidermis at the vein ending and consists of:
i) Placenta,, which is cushion-like
cushion like parenchymatous structure providing nourishment to the
developing sporangia.
ii) Sporangia are present on either side of the placenta. Each sporangium consists of a
stalk and a capsule containing spores.
iii) Indusium,, which is single layered, external protective covering. In T.S., it looks like a
mustache; however, in surface view, it appears
appe kidney-shaped.
shaped. It is attached to the
placenta by a short, massive, parenchymatous stalk.

SN: Sketch and label T.S. of pinna passing through sorus

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

LQ: Explain the morphology and anatomy of root in Nephrolepis.

Morohology of roots in Nephrolepis.

1. Roots arise from base of the stem and stolon forming adventitious fibrous root
system.
2. They show persistent root hair.
3. They absorb mineral salts and water and fix the plant in the soil.
Anatomy of Root in Nephrolepis:
Nephrolepis
1. The transverse section of root has three
t distinct parts -epiblema
epiblema, cortex and
vascular cylinder.
2. The epiblema is the outermost layer of thin walled cells.
3. Some cells of this region produce unicellular root hairs.
4. The cortex is divided into outer parenchymatous and inner sclerenchymatous
regions.
5. The latter provides machanical support to roots.
6. The innermost region of cortex has endodermis. Next to this layer is pericycle.
7. The vascular cylinder is diarch and exarch.
8. A diarch condition consists of two protoxylem points.
9. An exarch condition refers to presence of protoxylem away from the centre of the
axis.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

LQ: Explain the transverse section of rachis in Nephrolepis.

Internal Morphology transverse section of rachis in Nephrolepis.
In general outline, the section appears circular with a shallow groove on adaxial
(dorsal) side. It is differentiated into epidermis, ground tissue and vascular system.
Epidermis consists of single layer of closely packed rectangular cell ,with their
outer walls cutinized.
Ground tissue is differentiated into the outer zone of thick, walled lignified cells
forming hypodermis and the rest of inner ground tissue which is parenchymatous. The
cells of the ground tissue contain starch grains.
grains. The outer cells may show
chloroplasts when young. The layer of the ground tissue immediately surrounding each
vascular strand shows cell with their inner and radial walls highly thickened due to
phlobophaence forming a distinct brown ring.
Vascular system includes 2 to 5 vascular strands embedded in the ground tissue. The,
are arranged in a horse shoe-shaped
shoe shaped manner which opens towards the groove. Each
vascular stand contains a single vascular bundle surrounded by its own single layered,
thin wailed pericycle and endodermis. Hence, each vascular strand is called meristele
and the entire vascular system is called dictyostele.
Each vascular bundle is conjoint, concentric and amphicribral or hardocentric as
xylem is surrounded by phloem. Xylem is exarch, usually comma shaped or "C" shaped
with metaxylem at one end and protoxylem at the other end. The xylem consists of only
xylem tracheids and xylem parenchyma; vessels being absent. Phloem consists of only
sieve cell and phloem parenchyma. Sieve tubes and companion cell are absent.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

LQ: Describe the structure of sporangium in Nephrolepis. Add a note on

dehiscence of sporangium.
OR SN: Sporangium in Nephrolepis
OR Discuss the process of asexual reproduction in Nephrolepis.
Sporangium or spore sac is an asexual reproductive organ containing diploid spore
mother cells, which at maturity undergo meiosis to form haploid spores. Sporangia are
produced in group on placenta and are covered by indusium. The entire structure thus
formed is called sorus.
Each sporangium
porangium consists of basal stalk and distal capsule. The stalk is solid,
multicellular with cell arranged in two rows. The capsule is biconvex and consists of a
capsule-wall known as jacket, which is single layered and thin walled. Along the 3/4th
edge, it shows cells of annulus, with their inner tangential and radial walls are
thickened. At the remaining edge, there are transversely elongated thin walled cells.
Interior of the capsule is filled up with sixteen diploid spore mother cells, which
at maturity undergo meiosis to produce 64 haploid, kidney-shaped
kidney shaped spores. As all the
spores are of same size and shape, the plant is homosporous.
Each spore is more or less kidney-shaped,
kidney shaped, slightly flattened, dark brown body. It is
haploid containing uninucleate protoplast with some reserve food and is covered with two
coats, viz., exosporium, which is outer, thick, brown, resistive coat and endosporium,
which is inner, thin coat.

Dehiscence of sporangium
When the sporangium matures and the weather is dry; the dissemination of spores
takes place. In dry weather, the outer thin walls of the cells of annulus lose water and
shrink, exerting a pressure ono the transversely elongated thin-walled
walled cells on one side. As
a result of this, the sporangium breaks open in-between
in these thin-walled
walled lip-like
lip cells,
forming a transverse opening called stomium. As the annulus loses more and more water,
it shrinks further
er and goes backwards, tearing the wall of capsule up to the annulus and
carrying most of the spores along with it. At one stage, when pressure on annulus is
released, it act like a spring and suddenly snaps forward to its original position so that the
spores
res are violently thrown out, in the air to get carried away by wind. Thus, the spores
are liberated and dispersed.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

LQ: Write a detailed note on gametophyte of Nephrolepis.

or
Give the detailed account of prothallus in Nephrolepis.

Gametophyte (Prothallus)) of Nephrolepis.

1. The gametophyte of fern is called prothallus.

2. It is green, delicate, dorsiventrally flattened, heart-shaped
heart shaped body, measuring about
5mm across.
3. At the apex, it shows a notch and ventraily, at the narrow posterior end, it bears
unicellular rhizoids helping in anchorage and absorption of water and mineral salts
from the soil.
4. The prothallus is one-celled celled thick except towards the notch where it is many m layered
forming a cushion-like like structure.
5. The cells of the prothallus are thin walled and with full of chloroplasts.
6. There are neither stomata nor intercellular spaces; hence, exchange of gases takes
place directly.
7. Nutrition of prothallus is autotrophic as chlorenchymatous cells prepare food
material by photosynthesis.
8. The rhizoids absorb mineral salts and water. Thus, prothallus is also an autotrophic,
independent generation.
9. Prothallus is monoecious as it bears both male and female sex organs i.e. antheridia
and archegonia respectively, on the same plant.
10. They are present on the ventral surface.
11. The antheridia are present near the rhizoids while archegonia are present below the
apical notch partially embedded in the cushion.
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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

LQ: With a neat and labeled diagram explain the internal structure of rhizome in
Nephrolepis.

Internal structure of rhizome in Nephrolepis:

1. The Rhizome is differentiated into epidermis, hypodermis, ground tissue and stele.
2. The stele is a meristele.
3. A meristele is a part of dictyostele found between two neighbouring leaf gaps and
appear as separate strand in a transverse section.
4. A dictyostele is a solenostele with leaf gaps and distinct vascular strands.
5. A solenostele is a condition when a mass of parenchyma cells found in the centre
of the xylem.
6. The epidermis is the protective layer with a thick layer of cuticle.
7. The hypodermis
is is more or less continuous and heavily sclerotic.
8. Hypodermis is followed by parenchymatous ground tissue with starch grains.
9. The stele structure varies within the same rhizome.
10. A mature rhizome with many leaves has dictyostele which gets separated into
int a
number of strands called meristeles.
11. Each meristele is surrounded by its own endodermis which is followed by
pericycle.
12. The pericycle is followed by phloem. The central region of stele is occupied by
xylem.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

LQ: With the help of neat and labeled diagram, explain male and female sex organs
in Nephrolepis.

SN: Antheridium of Nephrolepis

Antheridia : These are male sex organs

present on the ventral surface of prothallus
near the rhizoids. Each antheridium is sessile,
spherical structure and has a wall made up 3
cells. The basal cell is called first ring cell;
the middle cell is called is called second
secon ring
cell and the apical cell is called cap cell or lid
cell. The interior of the antheridium is filled
up with few haploid androcytes (antherozoid
mother cells). At maturity, each androcyte
metamorphoses inter spirally coiled, haploid,
multiflagellate antherozoids. The remaining cytoplasm turns mucilaeinous.
mucilaeinous

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SN: Archegonium of Nephrolepis

Archegonia:: These are borne on the central

cushion-likee area towards the notch on ventral
surface.
urface. Each archegonium is a sessile, inverted,
flask-shaped structure consisting of globular venter
and tubular neck.
The venter is embedded in the prothallial tissue
(cushion); hence it has no jacket of its own. It
contains
ontains single large egg or oosphere towards the
base and venter canal cell towards the neck. The
neck is short and curved towards the posterior end
(on antheridial side). The wall of the neck is single
layer in thickness with the cells arranged in four longitudinal
longitudinal rows and closed at the top
by lid cells. It contains a single neck canal cell with two nuclei.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

Alternation of generation in Nephrolepis.

Alternation of generations
In the iife-histories of
pteridophytes, there are two
. generations viz.; diploid asexual
generation called sporophyte and
haploid sexual generation called
gametophyte. Sporophyte
produces gametophyte through asexual
reproduction and gametophyte produces
sporophyte through sexual reproduction.
As these two generation produce each
other alternately, i.e., the diploid
generation alternates with haploid
generation and so on, hence, the process
is called alternation of generations.
erations.
In fern, sporophyte is differentiated into
roots, stem and leaves. The roots absorb
mineral salt and water while the leaves
prepare food material. Thus, sporophyte
is an autotrophic, independent generation.
Being asexual generation, it produces
sori on abaxial side of
leaflets. Each sorus contains group of sporangia, which produces haploid spores after
meiosis. The spores germinate into gametophyte.

The gametophyte called prothallus is a heart-shaped

heart shaped structure with 5mm diameter. It
shows presencece of chlorenchymatous cells to prepare food material and rhizoids to absorb
mineral salts and water. Thus, in spite of its smallness, prothallus is also an autotrophic,
independent generation.
Being sexual generation, it produces sex organs, which are producedproduced on its ventral
surface. The male sex organs called antheridia produces male gametes called antherozoids
whereas the female sex organ called archegonia produces female gametes called eggs.
Male gamete fuses with the female gamete to form diploid zygote, zygote, which eventually
develops into diploid sporophyte.
Thus, the diploid sporophyte produces haploid gametophyte and the haploid gametophyte
produces diploid sporophyte. Hence, diploid phase alternates with haploid phase and the
process is called alternationn of generations.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

LQ: What is protostele? Describe different types of protostele. OR Give an account

of evolution of protostele in pteridophytes.
pteridophytes
Protostele : It is the most primitive type of stele consisting of a solid cylinder of
xylem in the centre, surrounded by phloem which is in turn surrounded by single layered
pericycle. Pith is absent, e.g., fossil plant Rhynia (aerial branch) and some living plants
like Psilotum (rhizome), Nephrolepis (rhizome), etc.
It is further divided into following types :
Haplostele : It is considered as most primitive type of protostele. The core of xylem
is smooth. It appears circular in a cross section and is surrounded by phloem. The origin
of the xylem is exarch as protoxylem is situated at the periphery of the xylem.
e.g. stem of Lycopdium and Selaginella.
Actionstele : In this, the pith is absent (protostele) and the centre is occupied by
xylem. Hence, it is a protostele. However, the xylem-core
xylem core has radiating arms forming a
stellate or star-shaped
shaped structure (actinos - star). The xylem is exarch in origin as the
protoxylems are situated at the end of the radiating arms. Phloem completely surrounds
the xylem and is in turn surrounded by pericycle and
endodermis.
e.g., stolon of fern, stem of Lycopodium sermtum
Plectostele : The xylem and the phloem appear intermingled. The radiation of arms
of the xylem splits to such an extent that they appear as separate parallel
parallel plates. The
phloem completely surrounds xylem and is in turn surrounded by pericycle. Such
protostele having plate-like,
like, exarch xylem is called plectostele.
e.g., stem of Lycopdium annotinum and Lycopdium clavatum
Mixed stele:: It is considered as the most advanced type of protostele which consists
of irregular groups of xylem surrounded by phloem. It appears as if xylem is embedded in
the phloem. The vascular tissues are surrounded by pericycle and endodermis. Such stele
is called mixed stele.
e.g., stem of Lycopdium cernuum.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

LQ: Explain evolution in siphonostele in pteridophytes.

SN: Siphonostele :

Advanced Types of Steles

In this type, pith is present at the centre of the stele in

the form of a cylinder. Parenchymatous pith is
surrounded by xylem, phloem, pericycle and
endodermis. The presence of the pith is an evolutionary
character which changes a protostele to a siphonostele.
Siphonostele is further divided into following types :
a) Ectophloic siphonostele : In this type of stele,
there is pericycle and endodermis only on the outer side
of the vascular tissues, i.e., xylem and phloem and
phloem is only on the outer side (ecto) of the xylem.
The centre is occupied by pith, e.g., stem of Osmunda
and Schizaea.
b) Amphiphloic siphonostele : In this, xylem
forms a ring. Phloem is present on both the sides of the xylem ring and is known as outer
phloem and inner phloem. Outside the outer phloem, there is outer endodermis and outer
pericycle and inside the inner phloem,
p there is
inner pericycle and inner endodermis. Xylem
ring is formed of metaxylem while there are
several patches of protoxylem on the outer face
of the xylem ring (exarch). Thus, there are two
pericycles, two endodermes, two groups of
phloem and a single
ingle group of xylem. The pith is
present in the centre, e.g., Rhizome of Marsilea.
These two types of stele exhibit a continuous
cylinder of vascular tissue and is not as evolved
as the subsequent type which has a network of
vascular bundles.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

Dictyostele & Atactostele

Dictyostele : In it, the siphonostele gets dissected by several overlapping leaf gaps and
results in the formation of intervening areas of vascular tissue, called Meristeles. Each
meristele consists of xylem, phloem, pericycle and endodermis, e.g., Rachis of
Nephrolepis (fern)

Atactostele : It is the most complex and highly evolved stele, in which, the vascular
cylinder consists of widely scattered vascular bundles in the ground tissue. These vascular
bundles are not delimited by endodermis and pericycle as both are absent. Such stele
havingg a widely scattered network of vascular bundles is called atactostele (Atactos
meaning without any order). It is the characteristic of monocotyledonous plants,
e.g.,Maize stem.

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

LQ: Give a diagrammatic representation of stellar evolution in pteridophytes.

Stele
Most Protostele Haplostele
Primitive
Types of
Steles

Actionstele

Plectostele

Mixed stele :

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SEM II PAPER I Question Bank solution UNIT I Nephrolepis

Advanced Siphonostele Ectophloic

Types of siphonostele
Steles

Amphiphloic
siphonostele

More Solenostele Dictyostele :

Advanced
Types of
Steles

Eustele :

Most or Atactostele
Highly
Advanced
Type of
Stele

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