Seedless Plants

• Eukaryotic• Photosynthetic• Adapted to land:– Waxy cuticle: prevents water loss– Vascular tissue: transports water and nutrients

• Reproduction still requires water (no seeds)

Alternation of Generations

• Sporophyte: Diploid– Produces haploid spores through

meiosis• Gametophyte: haploid

– Produces sperm and egg (from spores) through mitosis

• Sperm and egg join in fertilization creating new sporophyte

• Length of time sporophyte verses gametophyte

varies by plant– Can be equal

Nonvascular Plants

• Mosses (Bryophyta) and liverworts• Observe prepared slides of gametophyte and

sporophyte• Also view live moss specimen• No liverwort specimens• Separate male and female gametophytes– Male antheridia produces sperm– Female archegonia produces egg

Seedless Vascular Plants

• Club mosses, wisk ferns, horsetails, ferns• Sporophyte dominant• Adapted to living on land– Vascular tissue– Windblown spores

• Just fern (Pterophyta) examples today– Very diverse group– Look at preserved slides and specimens

Fern Life Cycle

Fern terms

• Prothallus: gametophyte, small and heart shaped

• Sporangia: spore producing structure

• Sorus: cluster of sporangia– Typically on bottom of leaf

• Fronds: fern leaves– Leaves are megaphylls with vascular

tissue