Lab 5: Lower vascular plants and ferns

The objective of this lab is to make you familiar with the basic vegetative and reproductive features of several groups of lower vascular plantas and ferns.  Please read additional information in chapter 8 of the text book.
Lycophytes:
For this section you are required to know how to distinguish Lycopodiaceae from Selaginellaceae

Family: Lycopodiaceae

Huperzia squarrosa: this is a tropical epiphyte, notice the dichotomous branching pattern

Huperzia nummularifolia

Huperzia phlegmaria

Lycopodiella cernua (left) Lycopodiella appressa (right)

(Left) Lycopodium clavatum (Right) Lycopodium tristachyum: note the well developed strobilii

Diphasiastrum digitatum: note the flattened branches

Family: Selaginellaceae

Selaginella willdenowii

Selaginella sp.

Selaginella erythropus

MONILOPHYTE (ferns and allies)

You are required to know Psilotaceae, Ophioglossaceae, Equisetaceae and from the leptosporangiate ferns Osmundaceae, Cyatheaceae, and Polypodiales.

Family: Ophioglossaceae

Ophioglossum reticulatum

Order: Psilotales

Family: Psilotaceae

Note: dichotomous stem, 3-lobed sporangia and reduced megaphyll leaves

Psilotum nudum

Family: Equisetaceae

Note whorled microphylls (reduced megaphylls) and jointed stems

 Equisetum hyemale

Equisetum scirpoides

Leptosporangiate ferns

Family: Osmundaceae

Observe modified fertile pinnae at the end of the frond rachis (=leaf axis)

 

Osmunda regalis (royal fern)

Family: Salviniaceae

Floating aquatic fern, heterosporous

Salvinia minima

Azolla caroliniana

Family: Marsileaceae 

Heterosporous, sporophyte dominant

Marsilea sp.

Family: Cyatheaceae

This is the family of tree ferns

Dicksonia sp.

Family: Dennstaedtiaceae

 

Family: Pteridaceae

The following species (maidenhair fern) has a false indusium

 Adiantum tenerum

Adiantum hispidulum

Family: Pteridaceae

 Pteris ensiformis

 Acrostichum danaeifolium

Family: Aspleniaceae

Asplenium nidus

Family: Thelypteridaceae

Thelypteris kunthii 

Phegopteris hexagonoptera

Family Blechnaceae

Woodwardia areolata

Family Dryopteridaceae

Note sori and describe the indusium

 Cyrtomium falcatum

 Rumohra adiantiformis

Family: Polypodiaceae

For this leptosporangiated fern we asked you to draw the sorus and the sporangium

Campyloneurum angustifolium


Phlebodium aureum

Pleopeltis polypodioides

Platycerium bifurcatum