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Normally, when we talk about plants we refer to those vascular plants that can reproduce by seeds, but there are other plants without seeds but that are also vascular, it is the division pteridophyta. Pteridophytes are a group of plants of great importance in the life of human beings for about 400 million years.
In this Green Ecologist article we will find out more about the Pteridophyte plants, what are they, their types and examples.
What are pteridophyte plants - definition
Pteridophytes are perennial vascular plants, without secondary growth and that they do not generate seeds during their life cycles, but reproduce by spores. Spores are defined as microscopic unicellular or multicellular bodies formed with the objective of allowing long-term dispersal and survival. The spores manage to germinate and develop very well in climates with high humidity.
They are also known as vascular cryptogams or ferns and they are quite primitive plants. They grow and develop in tropical climates (where they reach palm tree growth), temperate (with more herbaceous growth), humid or even some in arid areas. In addition, there are some aquatic or semiaquatic subspecies, although none thrive in salty waters.
By having conductive fabrics, which also serve as support, they manage to rise several meters above the ground. These tissues also help it better capture light and therefore can photosynthesize very completely. Ferns are believed to have been the first plants to adapt to living outside of water, although their life cycles are highly dependent on water.
The greatest importance of this group of plants is that they are often used both for human consumption and for their decorative and ornamental effects, such as ferns and young plants; If you have these plants at home, you may be interested in learning about the cultivation and care of ferns at home. In addition, some specimens are used for medicinal or therapeutic purposes, such as horsetail.
Types of pteridophyte plants
The vast majority of the public only knows ferns, but there are many more types. The types of pteridophytes plants most important are:
Horsetails
They are popularly known by the name of horsetail. They have an underground rhizome from which a large number of aerial clippings emerge. The leaves and stems of horsetails are hollow and easy to determine with respect to their fossil relatives, since they have characteristic ridges that differentiate them from other subspecies.
Clubmoss and Selaginellas
This variety of pteridophytes has branched stems with simple leaves and is characterized by producing two types of spores: microspores and megaspores.
Psylophytes
This type of pteridophytes is somewhat different from other types, since it has an underground stem, but the plant does not generate roots. Another characteristic of these pteridophytes is that their leaves are so small that it is possible to think that they do not have them. Psilophytes are closely related to a type of fossil plant of vascular origin, called Rhynia.
Isoetes
It is a genus of pteridophyte plants that are aquatic or semi-aquatic. The Isoetes They have leaves with a hole in the middle and that are quite narrow. They usually grow and develop on wet land, streams, lakes or rivers, but never in salty sea water. For this reason, they live mainly in jungles and forests.
Ferns
Ferns are the best known and most widely used type of pteridophyte plant. More than 12,000 species of ferns are known in the world. They live in humid ecosystems and feed on humid air and the water that runs down their stem. Ferns are the pteridophytes that thrive the fastest and even develop above other plants, and can grow up to 5 meters in length.
Learn more about them in this other Green Ecologist article about Ferns are plants without flowers or seeds.
Pteridophyte plants: examples
Some examples of pteridophyte plants are:
Horsetails
- Horsetail or common horsetail (Equisetum arvense): the most common horsetail of all. Widely used for its medicinal properties.
- Marsh horsetail (Equisetum palustre): it often causes intoxications, given its palustrin content, which can be confused with the common horsetail.
- Greater horsetailEquisetum telmateia): sometimes used in place of horsetail, for its diuretic properties.
- Equisetum hyemale: toxic species up to 1.5 m. and very little branched.
- Equisetum ramossimum: toxic species due to palustrin. It does not have leaves.
- Equisetum giganteum: horsetail up to 5 m tall. It is used in the southern hemisphere.
Clubmoss and Selaginellas
- Lycopodium clavatum: a very cosmopolitan and common species, also in Spain.
- Lycopodium obscurum: species native to the United States. Common in temperate coniferous and deciduous forests.
- Lycopodium annotinum: Common herbaceous species in coniferous forests in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Selaginella nickname: Lycophyte native to the eastern United States and northwestern Mexico
Psylophytes
In this case there are few species and the following stand out:
- Psilotum complanatum.
- Psilotum nudum.
Isoetes
- Isoetes lacustris: it is distributed in northern regions of America and Europe.
- Isoetes durieui: perennial plant with short underground stem. It can be found in the Mediterranean, as in Andalusia, where it is declared a vulnerable species.
Ferns
- Blecno (Blechnum gibbum).
- Elk hornPlatycerium bifurcatum).
- Deer tonguePhyllintis scolopendrium).
- Maidenhair (Adiantum capillus).
- Bird's nestAsplenium nests).
If you want to read more articles similar to Pteridophyte plants: what they are, types and examples, we recommend that you enter our Biology category.
