The document provides an overview of the genus Angiopteris, a group of primitive ferns with unique morphological and reproductive characteristics. It details their classification, external and internal structure, spore-producing organs, and both vegetative and sexual reproduction processes. Notably, Angiopteris evecta has various medicinal uses and exhibits invasive properties, alongside a distinctive method of spore dispersal.

1. ANGIOPTERIS
BY,
G. STEPHY AROKIYA
MARY
24PBO106

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Systematic Position
• Introduction
• Angiopteris
• External Morphology
• Internal Structure
• Spore Producing Organs
• Gametophyte
• Reproduction
• Conclusion

3. SYSTEMATIC POSITION
KINGDOM - PLANTAE
DIVISION - PTERIDOPHYTA
SUB – DIVISION - PTEROPSIDA
CLASS - EUSPORANGIATE
ORDER - MARATTIALES
FAMILY - ANGIOPTERIDACEAE
GENUS - ANGIOPTERIS

4. INTRODUCTION
• The class Eusporangiate is a small group of primitive ferns.
• This class is represented by 17 Genera and 30 Species.
The members of this class shows the following distinguishing features:
• Sporangia are borne on the fertile spikes (Ophioglossum), or on the
abaxial side of the lamina (Angiopteris, Marattia).
• The Sporangium develops from a group of initial cells.
• The Sporangial Jacket is more than one cell in thickness.

5. • They produce only one type of spores, i.e., they are homosporous.
• The class Eusporangiate has only two orders – Marattiales and
Ophioglossales.
• The Order Marattiales includes those eusporangiate ferns which bear
sporangia on the abaxial side of the lamina.
• They mostly occur in the tropical rain forests.
• There are seven living genera; of these Archangiopteris,
Macroglossum, Protomarattia and Christensenia are very small.

6. • Angiopteris, Marattia and Danaea are conspicuous because of their
massive fleshy axis and large fronds.
• The young leaves are circinate vernation (coiled) and each leaf has two
stipules at it’s base.
• The Sporangium opens by slits on either side or by a pore.
• The gametophyte is large, thalloid and green.

7. ANGIOPTERIS
• Angiopteris has some 100 species overall.
• They are distributed in Japan, Tropical
Australia, New Caledonia, Madagascar
and Polynesia.
• Angiopteris evecta (King Fern) occurs
throughout India up to an elevation of
2,500 meters.

8. EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY
• The Plant Body is Sporophytic i.e., the plant body is differentiated into root,
stem and leaves.
• The stem is large, upright and 60cm or more in height.
• Angiopteris is shielded by fleshy stipules.
• The leaves are Spirally arranged and form a Crown at the apex of the stem.
• They are Pinnately compound, often large, 2 – 6 meters long.
• A conspicuous swelling, called Pulvinus, is present at the base of each pinna.

9. • The venation is open, dichotomously branched and veins are sub –
parallel.
• The Young leaves shows typical Circinate vernation.
• Numerous Adventitious roots arises from the basal part of the stem.
They are somewhat fleshy, branched and mycorrhizic.
• These adventitious roots arise endogenously and are inserted below the
leaves.
• The young stem grows by means of a single narrow apical cell, which is
replaced by group of initials at maturity.

11. INTERNAL STRUCTURE
The Internal structure of the
Angiopteris consists of the
following, They are:
• Stem
• Root
• Pinna

12. ANATOMY OF THE STEM
• The anatomy of the stem is complex and it varies with the age of the
plant.
• The Parenchymatous cortex has numerous mucilagenous ducts.
• The fleshy nature of the stem is due to the absence of thick walled cells.
• Mechanical support to the stem is provided by thick leaf bases.
• The young stem is Protostelic. The stele is surrounded by a distinct
layer of endodermis.

13. • As the stem grows older, the stele becomes amphiphloic siphonostele
with distinct leaf gaps.
• In a mature stem, however, the stele breaks into many meristeles due to
overlapping leaf gaps.
• It appears to be polycyclic as several curved sheets of vascular strands
are arranged in the concentric rings.
• Root traces, however, arise only from the meristeles of the inner rings.

14. T.S. OF YOUNG STEM
T.S. OF MATURE STEM

15. ANATOMY OF ROOT
• The internal structure of root is relatively simple.
• The epidermal cells of the root forms the root hairs.
• Some root hairs are multicellular.
• There is a large parenchymatous cortex with many mucilagenous canals.
• The Stele is surrounded by a single layer of endodermis and one or two layers of
pericycle.
• The Stele is Polyarch with 4 – 10 (or more ) long and thin xylem arms.
• A small parenchymatous pith is present in the centre of the stele.

16. T.S. OF ROOT

17. ANATOMY OF PINNA
• The internal structure of a pinna is similar to that of the
dicotyledonous leaf.
• Both, the lower and the upper epidermis are single layered.
• Stomata are confined to the lower epidermis.
• The mesophyll is differentiated into 1 – 2 layers of
elongated palisade like cells, followed by spongy
parenchyma.

18. SPORE PRODUCING ORGANS
• The sporangia forms linear, oblong or boat shaped sori on the lower
surface of the pinnae near the margin.
• Each Sorus has 8 – 14 or more sporangia which develops over a
veinlet.
• The sporangia of a sorus are free and in this feature Angiopteris
differs from other members of the Marattiales where sporangia fuse
to form synangia.

19. • The sori are non – indusiate, instead few multicellular hairs are present
along the margin of the sorus.
• The development of sporangium is of eusporangiate type.
• In Angiopteris, sporangia of a sorus do not initiate individually, instead the
entire sorus arises as a Surface receptacular meristem.
• All surface cells of this meristem divides periclinally and then groups of
hypodermal cells differentiate as Sporangial initials.

20. • Adjacent groups of sporangial initials are separated by sterile
intersporangial areas.
• Each group of Sporangial initial forms a sorus.
• The mature Sporangium is large, massive and sessile.
• The proximal part of sporangium is directly attached to the
receptacle.

21. • The wall of sporangium is several layered : The outermost layer has
stomata and the innermost layer has the Sporogenous tissue, which
forms the Tapetum.
• An arch of slightly thick walled cells, the annulus, is differentiated in
the sporangial wall.
• It extends vertically from one end to the other across the top of the
sporangium.

22. • Contractions in the cells of the annulus results in the splitting of
sporangium along the line of the dehiscence.
• The spore output per sporangium is very large (1400 – 7500) in
comparison to the leptosporangiate ferns.

24. GAMETOPHYTE
• Germination of spores takes place within a few days after their shedding.
• The spores forms large, perennial prothalli.
• The Prothallus is dark – green, mycorrhizic and thalloid, resembling very
much with thallose liverworts.
• It contains a many celled thick central cushion and thin lateral wing –
like extensions.
• The growth of the central mycorrhizal cushion continues for quite a long
time.

25. REPRODUCTION
• Angiopteris can reproduce Vegetatively or by Producing spores.
• Vegetative reproduction occurs when fleshy stipules located at the base of
each petiole produce proliferous buds that break off on suitable substrate and
produce new plants.
• The spores produced by sporophyte stage germinate and produce the
gametophyte, usually called the Prothallium, that bears both sex organs –
The Antheridium and Archegonium.

26. • After gamete production, the fertilization occurs in humid
environments, a new sporophyte (fern) emerges.
• Angiopteris evecta takes many years before it is capable of producing
spores.
• Adult leaves are covered in thousands of sporangia, each of which
produces 1,440 spores.

28. USES…..
• Angiopteris have antibacterial and antifungal properties in them.
• Angiopteris evecta is often cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens, parks and
botanical gardens.
• The rhizome of Angiopteris evecta is used by the members of Tangsa tribe, both as
famine food and a remedy for snake bites and insect stings.
• The leaves of Angiopteris evecta are pounded to relieve coughs.
• The roots of Angiopteris evecta are used to stop bleeding after a miscarriage.
• The rhizome is used medicinally in Thailand.

29. CONCLUSION
• Angiopteris are invasive species.
• Angiopteris is unique among the ferns in having explosively
dispersed spores, which are thought to be caused by airspace
between the spore layers.
• These species have the unique spore dispersal mechanism in them.

30. THANK
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