School of Sciences, Lautoka Campus BIO509 Botany Lecture 13 : Phylum Lycophyta (club mosses, spike mosses and quillworts).

Stems of plants are covered with microphylls that are photosynthetic. Sometimes called ground pine. Sporangia on or in the axils of sporophylls on strobili. Heterosporous & homosporous. Distribution- global. Habitat- forest floors, deserts, aquatic. ~1,200 species. Examples- Lycopodium, Selaginella, Isoetes.

Lycopodium Lycopodium – ground pines (resemble Christmas trees with cones) Grow on forest floors Stems either simple or branched Less than 30 cm tall Leaves may be whorled or in tight spiral Adventious roots and can produce root hairs which develop along the rhizomes

Fiji: 3 genera, 14 species (“lewa nini”)

Life cycle of Lycopodium - homosporous

Selagenella – spike Mosses

Sporophytes are larger than the Lycopodium. Approximately 700 species, 7 species in Fiji) Especially abundant in the tropics. More freely branched Leaves have an extra appendage or tongue called ligule on the upper surface near the base. They are heterosporous.

Isoetes - Quiltworts

Isoetes – Quiltworts Aquatic or seasonally dry ponds. Leaves (microphylls) are slightly spoon shaped at the base and arranged spirally on a stubby stem. Ligules occur towards the leaf base. Corm is short, fleshy underground stem. Reproduction is similar to spike mosses but lacks strobili. Heterosporous, both types of sporangia produced at the base of the leaves.

Human and Ecological Relevance of Club Mosses and Quiltworts Are of little economic importance Large members of club moss produce flash of light when ignited and this was used to manufacture explosives and photographic flash. Used as medicine to treat urinary and stomach disorders, reduce fevers. Native Americans used club moss as a talcum powder for babies and to treat bleeding. Club mosses and spike mosses have been used as ornamental plants. Quillwort corms have been eaten by animals and humans.

Novelty stores sell a species of spike moss as resurrection plants. Some species of Selaginella shrivel when dry, then grow again with water

Phylum Equisetophyta (Sphenophyta)– the Horsetails and Scouring Rushes.

Phylum Equisetophyta – the Horsetails and Scouring Rushes. Widespread in moist or damp places. Equisetum (horsetails, 25 species, 1 in Fiji). Sporophytes have ribbed stems containing silica deposits and whorled scalelike microphylls that lack chlorophyll. Two forms – branched and unbranched.

Branched This is commonly called horse tail because the branches look a little like horse tail.

Un-branched Commonly called scouring rushes because they inner walls of the epidermal cells have silica deposits which make it excellent scouring materials for dirty metal pots and pans. Used extensively by native Americans

Stems conspicuously jointed, and ribbed. Rough texture (siliceous deposits). Microphylls whorled and arise at nodes. Most photosynthesis takes place in stems. Have obvious nodes and internodes. There are numerous stomatal pores in the stems. Xylem and phloem are present in the stem. The aerial stems develop form horizontal rhizomes, which also have regular nodes, internodes and ribs.

In some species adventitious roots may be present and may form extensive branching below the surface.

Lifecycle of a Equistem - homosporous

Human and Ecological Relevance of Horsetails and Scouring Rushes The Romans boiled strobilis of horsetails or fried them after mixing them with flour. Native Americans peeled off the rough epidermis of young stems and ate the inner parts raw or boiled. Also, the rhizomes of giant horsetails were cooked for food. Cows, goats, muskrats, bears and geese ate horsetails

Human and Ecological Relevance of Horsetails and Scouring Rushes Horsetails were thought to increase red blood cells. In some cases they were used as diuretic to increase the flow of urine). Used for the treatment of diseases suchas gonorrhea and TB. Burnt stems were used to cure mouth sours. Used for cleaning pots, polishing brass and hardwood furniture

Questions??