Enlist the general characters of pteridophytes with example.

Hint: A pteridophyte is a vascular plant (includes xylem and phloem) that scatter spores. Pteridophytes produce neither flowers nor seeds. They are sometimes mentioned as ‘Cryptogams’, which suggests that their means of reproduction are hidden. Ferns and lycophytes all are pteridophytes.

Complete answer:
The general characters of pteridophytes are –
-Pteridophytes are the first true land plants.
-They are seedless, and they procreate through spores.
-A pteridophyte is a vascular plant. The water and minerals flow from the surface of the plant- cell to cell in the plant’s body.
-The sporophyte generation and the gametophyte generation both are seen in Pteridophytes.
-Sporophyte has true roots, stem, and leaves as they contain vascular tissues.
-The sporangium is the structure in which spores are formed. They are usually homosporous (meaning: one sort of spore is produced) and also are heterosporous, (meaning: two sorts of spores are produced.)
-Sporangia are produced in groups on sporophylls:
-The tip of the leaves tends to curl inwards to protect the vulnerable growing parts.
-The male sex organs are called antheridia, while the female sex organs are called archegonia.
-They are found in cool, damp, shady places.
Examples of Pteridophyta are- Man fern, Silver fern, Whisk Fern, Flying Spider, Salvinia natans, Equisetum, selaginella, adiantum, etc.



Note: Life cycle of Pteridophytes is almost the same as seed-bearing plants, where alternation of generations is observed. However, pteridophytes don't possess seeds; instead, they use spores. Some groups of pteridophytes are at present extinct and known only from fossils.