🌿 Intermediate Practical Manual – Selaginella

🔬 Classification of Selaginella

• Division : Pteridophyta

• Class : Lycopsida

• Order : Selaginellales

• Family : Selaginellaceae

• Genus : Selaginella

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✨ Characters of Selaginella (Specimen)

1. The plant is a sporophyte.

2. The stem is herbaceous, branched, and generally prostrate.

3. Leaves are microphyllous, of two kinds – small and large. Each leaf has a single unbranched midrib.

4. On the upper surface near the leaf base is a small membranous structure called the ligule.

5. Leaves are arranged in four longitudinal rows:

   • Smaller leaves → two rows on the dorsal side of the stem

   • Larger leaves → two rows on the ventral side of the stem

6. From the forking of the stem arise rhizophores (colorless, leafless structures). These grow downward and produce adventitious roots.

👉 By these features, the specimen is identified as a Selaginella plant.

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🖼️ Diagram (Selaginella Plant)

• Leaves

• Stem

• Rhizophore

• Roots

✅ Thus, Selaginella is a pteridophyte showing heterophylly (two types of leaves) and specialized structures (ligules & rhizophores).

👉🔬 Intermediate Practical Book