870 likes | 1.82k Views
Vascular Plants. Generalized life cycle. Moss life cycle. Spore -> Gametophyte. Gametophyte -> Zygote. Zygote -> mature sporophyte. Sporophyte -> spores. Vascular Plants. Vascular Plants. Branching sporophyte in Silurian First vascular plants in Devonian. First flowering plants.
E N D
Vascular Plants • Branching sporophyte in Silurian • First vascular plants in Devonian First flowering plants Age of Ferns First fossil of non-algal land plant in Silurian - 430 mya Liverwort spore tetrads - end of Ordovician
Fossils • Probable embryophyte spores at 450 Ma • Cooksonia fossils in Silurian (ca. 430 Ma)
Plants like Cooksonia lacked a vascular system • Dichotomously-branching axes • Terminal sporangia • No roots or leaves
Over-time became larger, more complex, and acquired a vascular system Time
Living vascular plants (Tracheophytes) • Stems and roots (often leaves)
Living vascular plants (Tracheophytes) • Stems and roots • Sporophytes dominate the life-cycle
Sporophyte dominance Gametphyte Tree fern
Why sporophyte dominance? • Spore dispersal by wind: aided by height • Competition for light (gametophyte constrained by the need for water)
Living vascular plants (Tracheophytes) • Stems and roots • Sporophytes dominate the life-cycle • A vascular (transport) system
Vascular system • Xylem (water transport) and phloem (metabolite transport) Stem Vascular Bundle Xylem Phloem Root
Xylem • Composed primarily of Tracheids • Elongated, dead, cells • Cell wall impregnated with lignin • Transport of water from soil to leaves
Phloem • Transport via sieve elements • Elongated, living cells • Transport of sugars, hormones, etc.
3 Major groups of Vascular plants • Seed plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms) • Lycophytes (club mosses and their relatives) • Moniliforms (ferns and fern allies)
Major tracheophyte taxa • Seed Plants (ca. 290,000 species) • Lycophytes (ca. 1,100 species) • Ferns and allies (ca. 11,000 species) Tracheophytes that are not seed plants are sometimes called “pteridophytes”
Vascular plant phylogeny bryophytes lycophytes Ferns + Seed plants Microphylls Cooksonia Megaphylls Vascular tissue, Roots Branched sporophyte
Organ systems origins • Stems - dichotomous branching
Organ systems origins • Stems • Leaves • Microphylls
Organ systems origins • Stems • Leaves • Microphylls • Megaphylls
Organ systems origins • Stems • Leaves • Microphylls • Megaphylls • Roots
An important variation: Heterospory Megasporangium Microsporangium Lycopodium (homosporous) Selaginella (heterosporous)
Heterospory • Microspores and megaspores produced in different sporangia on different leaves (microsporophylls; megasporophylls) • Microspores grow into male gametophytes • Megaspores grow into female gametophytes - remains within spore wall
Homospory Diploid Haploid sperm zygote egg sporophyte gametophyte spore
Heterospory Diploid Haploid zygote egg sperm sporophyte female gametophyte male gametophyte microspore megaspore
Heterospory evolved many times. Why? • Increases potential for outcrossing • Specialization of function between micro- and megagametophyte permits greater efficiency (less cost)
3 Major groups of Vascular plants • Seed plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms) • Lycophytes (club mosses and their relatives) • Moniliforms (ferns and fern allies)
Moniliforms Spermatophyta Lycophyta Pryer et al. 2001
Lycophytes • 380 Ma old • 1100 spp. • Microphylls only • Sister group to the other living vascular plants
Lycophytes • 380 Ma old • 1100 spp. • Microphylls only lycophytes Ferns + Seed plants Microphylls Megaphylls
Lycopodium Clubmoss (Lycopodium) Lycophytes Isoetes Selaginella Selaginella
Carboniferous lycopodsup to 40 m Sigillaria Lepidodendron
Lycopodium life cycle I Sporophyte makes sporangia often in a “strobilus” Sporangium
Lycopodium life cycle I Sporophyte makes sporangia often in a “strobilus” Sporophyll Sporangium
Lycopodium life cycle II Spores dispersed by wind: germinate into a minute gametophyte Spore Thallus Spore Rhizoids
Lycopodium life cycle III • Gametophyte produces archegonia and antheridia (bisexual) • Biflagellate sperm fertilize egg cells • New sporophyte grows Archegonial neck
Lycophyte diversity • 3 Major groups • Lycopodiaceae (club mosses) • Selaginella • Isoetes
Lycopiaceae • Approximately 400 species • Dominated Carboniferous, up to 40 m tall • form much of modern coal • Homosporous • Archegonia and Antheridia can take 6-15 years to mature
Selaginella • Approximately 700 extant species • Heterosporous • Moist habitats or "resurrect" Selaginella umbrosa
Isoetes • Approximately 200 species • Grow in water or dried pools
Moniliforms Spermatophyta Lycophyta
Ferns and fern allies (moniliforms) • Includes ferns (Pterophyta) and two small groups (Psilophyta and Sphenophyta) • ca. 12,000 spp. • Homosporous or heterosporous • Megaphylls (lost in Psilophyta and Sphenophyta) • Ecologically important especially as tropical epiphytes