The best known stage of the life cycle of true ferns is that of the mature diploid sporophyte. The Plants Database includes the following 3 species of Psilotum .Click below on a thumbnail map or name for species profiles. ferns, horsetails, whisk ferns genus: Psilotum (whisk fern) and Equisetum (horsetail) unifying characteristics: 1. homosporous (produce one kind of spore to turn into single kind of gametophyte to make anth. Evaporation on the surface of the leaves. The leaves, called frond, consist of a leafstalk and an often multi-pinnate leafsheets. The plant is a … Horsetails, whisk ferns, and ferns belong to the phylum Monilophyta, with horsetails placed in the class Equisetopsida. 2. vascular (carry materials between roots and shoots) 3. motile sperm 4. external water needed for fertilization Fern Taxonomy Horticulturists classify plants according to a taxonomic flow chart that is a family tree of sorts. Two living genera, Psilotum and Tmesipteris, with only two species of the former and less than 30 of the latter, constitute the entire phylum.Both genera are weeds in the tropics and subtropics. The conditions in the bootjacks are ideal for it's survival. Morphologically, the plant is simple, lacking leaves and roots, and having hanging stems with dichotomous branching, which lack developed leaves but have minute scales. The Whisk Fern is considered a "primitive" plant, a descendent of the first group of vascular plants. Whisk Fern grows both as a terrestrial (in soil) as well as an epiphyte (using another plant as host) and is found in subtropical and tropical areas of the world. Summary 4 Psilotum complanatum (Flatfork Fern) is a rare herbaceous epiphytic fern ally in the genus Psilotum.There is some evidence that it might be a true fern that has lost some typically fern-like characteristics. Etymology The generic name is from the Greek psilos, naked or smooth, alluding to the smooth aerial stems without leaves. Special Features and Information. A, b, c. Phloem are _____ Xylem are ____ alive, dead. Plenty of moisture, light and rich growing medium. The difference lies in the botanical distinction between true ferns and whisk ferns. What is the driving force behind conductio9n in xylem? Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): The whisk fern Psilotum nudum has conspicuous green stems with knob-shaped sporangia. The simplest vascular land plant is the whisk fern, which is also called a psilophyte or psilotale. Stem has a relatively simple vascular cylinder. Psilotum commonly known as Whisk-fern. Salient features of Pilotum. The sporophytes are dichotomously branched with an underground trhizome and upright branches. I have been able to remove pieces and grow them im my nursery area. select all features of whisk fern gametophytes A. colorless B. small C. use fungi for nutrient uptake D diploid. Posted by plantladylin (Sebastian, Florida - Zone 10a) on Sep 22, 2011 6:15 PM. General Information Psilotum belong to the Whisk-fern family (Psilotaceae) with only two wide spread species: Psilotum complanatum and P. nudus.Both species are indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands. and arch.) The single genus Equisetum is the survivor of a large group of plants, known as Arthrophyta, which produced large trees and entire swamp forests in the Carboniferous. Whisk ferns were considered an early pterophytes. The upright branches are leafless. However, recent comparative DNA analysis suggests that this group may have lost both vascular tissue and roots through evolution, and is more closely related to ferns. Rhizoids present instead of root. The sporangia are born in groups (trilocular) and form synangioa. 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