Kingdom Plantae Ferns KINGDOM PLANTAE Vascular Plants Nonvascular

Kingdom Plantae Ferns

KINGDOM PLANTAE Vascular Plants Non-vascular Plants Phylum Tracheophyta Phylum Bryophyta Seeds No Seeds Ferns Mosses

What do we know so far about plants?

Moss Summary

The Pteridophytes (fern family) probably evolved from an algae around the same time as the bryophytes were evolving. RHYNIA: 400 RHYNIA million years ago The 1 st vascular plant.

What Does “Vascular” Mean? • Xylem – water moves up xylem from roots to tip • Phloem – sugar (made in leaves) and moves down sinks

Transpiration • Transpiration is the movement of water from root to tip of plant • Occurs due to cohesive nature of water • Evaporation causes water to constantly leave the leaves of all plants

• Sink cell is a root • Source cell is a leaf • Translocation is the movement of sugar in plants • Transpiration is the movement of water in plants

Leaf Cross Section

Ferns – the REPTILES of Kingdom Plantae • Ferns are still tied to the water for reproduction • motile sperm • No true roots or conducting tissue to bring in water • Koru = fiddlehead (young fern)

Spore Production in Ferns

Fern Advances 1. Sporophyte stage of the lifecycle becomes dominant. 2. Separate Gametophyte prothallus for sexual reproduction 3. Well developed tissues: can grow bigger 4. Adapted to warm wet climate

Fern Life Cycle

2. Sub-Phylum Sphenophyta (equisitem) Reproductive structure

Vegetative structure

Sub-Phylum Pterophyta (ferns) 1. This is the most diverse group with over 12, 000 species 2. Their lived 400 million years ago, and the ferns we see today first appeared 300 million years ago. 3. Their leaves are called FRONDS and begin as fiddleheads which ‘unfurl’ (unroll) as the leaves mature. Fiddleheads can be eaten, but many species are toxic. 4. The roots are simple RHIZOMES 5. The sporangia are located on the underside of the leave in circular clusters called SORUS (sori). Sometimes the sori are covered by a small leaf growth called INDUSIUM.

FERN PROTHALLUS (gametophyte)

eggs sperm

FERN PROTHALLUS with SPOROPHYTE

FERN FIDDLEHEAD (‘baby’ sporophyte) http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Xru. TNNab. Ue 0&feature=related

HOW DO WE USE FERNS? Trim the base of your ferns, leaving only a tiny tail beyond the circumference of each Fiddlehead. Rub off any remaining furry brown covering. Rinse under running water. Drop ferns into a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil for about 5 minutes or until tender. If undercooked, you will miss the full, rich flavor. Drain well and serve piping hot with melted butter.

http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=-x. F 83 p. HEx 6 Q FERN FRONDS WITH SORI

Fern plant cells Sporangia Indusium

INDUSIUM

SORI RELEASE SPORES

ECOLOGICAL ROLE OF FERNS • Pioneer species: first to establish themselves in areas with poor soil (little nutrients) • Once the ferns are established, they improve living conditions for other species 1. Put nutrients back into the soil 2. Help prevent erosion Ultimately, they set the stage for their own demise, as other plants and trees will come in a take over.