Biol1262 Lab 4 Clubmosses and Ferns

BIOL162 LIVING ORGANISMS I
MICROPHYLLOPHYTA (lycopods or clubmosses) PTERIDOPHYTA
GOALS
Students should be able to;
identify the sporophyte and gametophyte generations of fern plants in gardens and forests using
habitat information and observable morphological features.
identify the sporophyte generation of clubmosses in gardens and forests using habitat
information and observable morphological features.
recognise the fern sporophyte and the clubmoss sporophyte in photographs and diagrams.
identify the fern sporangium in diagrams, photomicrographs and whole mount preparations by
recognising the structural features of the sporangium wall.
recognise and recorded heterospory and homospory in fresh cone sections, permanent slide
preparations, photomicrographs and diagrams.
Objectives
At the end of this lab session students should have:
recorded the diagnostic vegetative and reproductive features of the fern sporophytes and
gametophytes..
recorded the diagnostic vegetative and reproductive features of the clubmoss.
recorded heterospory and homospory in fresh cones and permanent slide preparations.
recorded the structure of the fern sporangium.
identified adaptive features of club mosses and ferns, to life on land
used the stereo and compound microscopes to aid in the observation the specimens
presented observations using the prescribed format for a lab report
Type 2 Plagiarism eg. Copying from each other, copying from internet, copying from the text
book
Students found committing this offense will be reported to the Registrar Examinations.
1
MICROPHYLLOPHYTA
Procedure:
Sporophyte structure
Collect one plant of each of the club mosses provided.

The plant body consists of roots, stems and leaves (microphylls leaves with one vein);
note that the stem is dichotomously branched (branches split into two forming a Y).
The leaves are spirally arranged on the stem in Lycopodium and there are four rows of
leaves in Selaginella sp. The cones or strobili are aggregates of sporophylls with
sporangia in the axils which are located at the tips of branches.
Detail of cone
Observe the prepared slides of longitudinal sections through Lycopodium and Selaginella
cones. Your demonstrator will have slides for your use.
On which surface (abaxial or adaxial) of the leaf are the sporangia borne? Note the
differences between the two cones by recording the number of spores and the relative size
of the spores in the sporangia. Which specimen is homosporous and which
heterosporous? Identify the strobilus, sporangia, spores, microsporangium, microspores,
megasporangium and megaspores.
Sporophyte -Stem Anatomy

Observe the prepared slide of a c.s. through the stem of Lycopodium or Selaginella.
Confirm that the plant is vascular. Demonstration (1slide /bench)
Gametophyte
The gametophytes of these specimens are very small and some are subterranean and
heterotrophic. It is unlikely that we will be able to find any for our lab.
Results
1. Make biological drawings of the club mosses. Selaginella and Lycopodium.
2. Make biological drawings of the cones of Selaginella and Lycopodium to show the
heterosporous and the homosporous condition respectively
2
PTERIDOPHYTA (ferns)
Procedure: Sporophyte structure (vegetative)
Collect a fern specimen, the plant body consists of roots, stems and leaves.
The stems are horizontal and are called rhizomes and the roots which grow from the
rhizome are adventitious roots, the leaves or fronds are large (megaphylls having a
network of veins). A characteristic feature of the ferns is the fiddlehead (young frond).
Sporophyte structure (reproductive)
The sporangia are borne on the under surface of the frond. Examine the sporangia which
are clustered together to form sori.
Mount a sorus on a slide in a drop of water and view under the stereomicroscope. Locate
the sporangium and spores.
Adaptations to land: Dehiscence
Place sporangia on a slide and observe under the microscope, make a drawing relate
structure to dehiscence mechanism and spore liberation.
Gametophyte structure
If there are living specimens of the gametophyte in the lab collect one and make a slide;
view using the stereomicroscope or the scanning lens of the compound microscope.
If there are no living specimens view the demonstration slides provided.
Attempt to locate the archegonia and the antheridia. The archegonia are usually found
around the notch of the heart-shaped gametophyte, while the antheridia occur over most
of the undersurface.
Note also the shape and colour of the gametophyte and the presence of rhizoids on the
undersurface.
Make a wet mount of a fern gametophyte with young sporophyte or view the
demonstration slide provided. The gametophyte eventually dies and the sporophyte
develops into the large plant.
3
Results
3. Sporophyte -Make a labelled drawing of the sporophyte of the specimen provided.

(ventral and dorsal surface required, include fiddlehead)
4. Gametophyte - Draw also the gametophyte (prothallus), look for archegonia and
antheridia. Draw the developing sporophyte if seen.
5. Adaptations to land: Dehiscence - Make a drawing of the sporophyte relate structure to
dehiscence mechanism and spore liberation, (annulus, sporangium wall, spores and
stomium)
Write up
Name: ID: Demonstrators name:
Date:
Title
Drawings with annotations, tiles, scale bars and notes at the base of drawings
Continue at home
Classify the species provided include the ranks Domain, Kingdom, Phylum/Division and Genus.
Prepare a table which can be used to compare the vegetative and reproductive features of the
club moss and the fern species.
Type 2 Plagiarism eg. Copying from each other, copying from internet, copying from the text
book
Students found committing this offense will be reported to the Registrar Examinations.
JRM OCT 2016

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BIOL162 LIVING ORGANISMS I

MICROPHYLLOPHYTA (lycopods or clubmosses) PTERIDOPHYTA

Students should be able to;

At the end of this lab session students should have:

Collect one plant of each of the club mosses provided.

Sporophyte -Stem Anatomy

1. Make biological drawings of the club mosses. Selaginella and Lycopodium.

Procedure: Sporophyte structure (vegetative)

Sporophyte structure (reproductive)

Adaptations to land: Dehiscence

3. Sporophyte -Make a labelled drawing of the sporophyte of the specimen provided.

Name: ID: Demonstrators name:

JRM OCT 2016

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