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    Lepidodendron

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    Srijan
    Lepidodendron was a large tree-like lycopod that lived during the Carboniferous period, reaching heights of over 120 feet tall. It had erect, dichotomously branching stems with spirally arranged linear leaves 5-9 inches long. The stems developed secondary growth through a cambium layer, depositing secondary xylem and phloem. Lepidodendron reproduced through cones called lepidostrobi that bore sporophylls with elongate sporangia, and were heterosporous with megasporophylls at the base.

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    Lepidodendron

    Uploaded by

    Srijan
    562 views4 pages
    Lepidodendron was a large tree-like lycopod that lived during the Carboniferous period, reaching heights of over 120 feet tall. It had erect, dichotomously branching stems with spirally arranged linear leaves 5-9 inches long. The stems developed secondary growth through a cambium layer, depositing secondary xylem and phloem. Lepidodendron reproduced through cones called lepidostrobi that bore sporophylls with elongate sporangia, and were heterosporous with megasporophylls at the base.

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    Lepidodendron was a large tree-like lycopod that lived during the Carboniferous period, reaching heights of over 120 feet tall. It had erect, dichotomously branching stems with spirally arranged linear leaves 5-9 inches long. The stems developed secondary growth through a cambium layer, depositing secondary xylem and phloem. Lepidodendron reproduced through cones called lepidostrobi that bore sporophylls with elongate sporangia, and were heterosporous with megasporophylls at the base.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    562 views4 pages

    Lepidodendron

    Uploaded by

    Srijan
    Lepidodendron was a large tree-like lycopod that lived during the Carboniferous period, reaching heights of over 120 feet tall. It had erect, dichotomously branching stems with spirally arranged linear leaves 5-9 inches long. The stems developed secondary growth through a cambium layer, depositing secondary xylem and phloem. Lepidodendron reproduced through cones called lepidostrobi that bore sporophylls with elongate sporangia, and were heterosporous with megasporophylls at the base.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 4

    Lepidodendron

    Habit of Lepidodendron:

    Like other ancient lycopods, Lepidodendron was also tree like in habit..In general appearance
    it was not unlike that of present day Lycopodium. But in size the genus enormously exceeded
    the herbaceous Lycopodium. The petrified trunks were sometimes as long as 100 feet.
    Judging from this it may be safely assumed that the plant reached a height of over 120 feet.

    Stem:

    The stem was erect and did not branch up to some distance from the ground. The branching
    of the stem was typically dichotomous. The ultimate dichotomies produced the leaves. The
    branches and the foliage formed a sort of crown at the apex of the stem.

    The leaves which clad the young stems and branches were acicular or linear in shape having a
    length of 5-9 inches. The arrangement of the leaves was spiral or very rarely they showed a
    whorled arrangement. The leaves were ligulate.

    Each leaf had a single vein with the stomata situated in two bands on the ventral surface. The
    leaves were deciduous. Upon abscission a flat rhomboidal scar persisted on the stem
    resembling a small cushion. The base of the stem had a stigmarian type of root system.

    In majority of the species, secondary growth is characteristic. But some species seem to lack
    a cambium.
    A transverse section of the trunk, of L. vasculare shows three regions, stele,
    cortex and a periderm.
    In the primary structure there was an epidermis but soon i.e. even before the initiation of
    secondary growth in the vasculature, it was replaced by the periderm.

    The periderm was produced by a phellogen which produced phelloderm towards the interior
    and phellem towards the exterior. The outline of the bark was wavy due to the presence of
    leaf bases

    Internal to this was the cortex.

    It consisted of four regions viz.:

    (1) Outer cortex consisting of alternating bands of sclerotic and parenchymatous cells,

    (2) A middle cortex having a homogenous mass of parenchyma cells. Interspersed with the
    parenchyma cells were the leaf traces,

    (3) Secretory zone consisting of glandular cells which were filled with a dark coloured
    substance. They probably secreted the waxy material which covered the surface of the stem,
    (4) An inner cortex having parenchyma cells.

    The central region of the stem was occupied by the stele which was either protostelic or
    siphonostelic. The protoxylem was exarch and polyarch. In many species (L. vasculare) there
    was a secondary growth initiated by the cambium.

    This produced secondary xylem to the interior and secondary phloem to the exterior. The
    cambial activity was not uniform, as a result there was a tendency for the formation of an
    eccentric vascular ring. The secondary xylem had radial rows of tracheid is separated by
    xylem rays which were uniseriate.

    2. Leaf:

    Anatomically the leaves showed a single vascular bundle flanked on either side by parichnos
    cavities. These are believed to be aerating organs.

    Reproduction in Lepidodendron:

    Lepidodendron formed bisporangiate cones called Flemingites that were borne terminally.
    The strobili of Lepidodendron are given the name Lepidostrobus. In general structure they
    had a central axis bearing spirally arranged or whorled sporophylls. The sporophylls were
    ligulate and somewhat peltate bearing a single, sessile, elongate sporangium on their adaxial
    face.

    It is quite possible that some sporangia were trabeculate, the trabeculae being concerned with
    nutrition. The strobili were heterosporous with the megasporophylls aggregated towards the
    base.
    Class: Lycopsida

    Order : Lepididendrales

    Family : Lepidodendraceae

    Genus: Lepidodendron

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