NO - G

STUDY OF OF CYCAS
Morphololgy of the plant:
system, which is
Plant body is sporophyte which is differentiated into an underground root
distinguished imto an erect stem and a erown of leaves
External features:
becomes thick, columnar und
I The young stem is alnnost tuberous but when grows old. it is by
unbranehed (Branehiny is rare and is caused due to injury. elc.), The trunk covered
persistent leaf' bases.
dinorphic (i.e. of two types) (i
Leaves: The stenm beurs a terminal group of leaves which are
(brown and hairy). These
foliage leaves (green assimilatory fronds) and (ü) scale leaves
leaves alternate with one another.
3 Young foliage leaves are circinately coiled and are covered with ramenta (hairs)
Each leaf has 80- 100
4 Mature leaves are spirally arrunged and pinnately compound.
another on the rachis with a decurrent
pairs of pinnae that are closely arranged, opposite one but no lateral veins.
base. Each pinna is tough. leathery and entire with a hairs.midrib
delinite
These leaves cover the apex
$ Scale leaves are snall. simple. brown and covered with persistent, like leaf bases.
and young developing foliage leaves. Scales are also bears terminully. either male cone or
as such,
6 Reproductive organs: ('vcas is dioccious and,
female reproductive structures.
the stem and the further growth of the stem
The male cone is borne terminally at the apex of the male cone on
continues by axillary bud (developed at the base of the cone) which pushes
referred to as sympodial.
one side. The brunching inCivcas stem is thus foliage leaves.
8 The tennalereproductive structures are the sporophylls developing in place of
The vegetative apex continues to grow as usual.
They are brown or light brown in colour
9 The sporophylls are saller than the foliage leaves.
and are densely cOvered with wooly hairs i. e. ramenta.
Anatomy of leaflet (pinna):
1 The leaflet shows a distinct midrib and the wings.
the lateral sides are narrower and flattened.
2 The midrib is swollen. while wings on
thickly cuticularized and singlelayered.
Upper epidermis is present on the upper side. It isSelerenchymatous.
4 Hypodernis is presentthe below the
hynodeIS
belou is well developed. lt is differentiated into upper
5 Mesophyll lies
palisade layers and lower of spongy parenchyma.
intercellular spaces lies immediately above the
6 Spongy parenchyma with many
7 lower epidermis.
the centripetal metaxylem of mid rib bundle and
8 Transfusion tissue. On either side of like cells transfusion tissue.
somewhat connected with it., are present tyo tracheid and spongy parenchyma cells, there are
the palisade
9 Accessory transfusion tissue. Between colourless cells which run transversely from the midrib to
3or 4 lavers of tracheil-like. long
as accessory transtusion tissue. It is connected
near the margin of the lamina. This is known midrib through the transfusion tissue.
with the xylem of the vascular bundle of lower side. It is thickly cuticularizcd and single
leaflet from
10 Lower epidermis bounds the epidermis in the midrib region.
lavered. Sunken stomala are found in the lower midrib lies a single
swollen
In middle of thenarenehesendng the
11 Midrib bundle. surrounded by tissue (with calcium oxalate crystals).
vascular bundle parenchymatous bundle sheath.
Vascular bundle has a definite and thickened. that found in the upper region of the rachis.
respects to
12 The vascular bundle is similar in all
diploxylic.
Ir is conjoint, collateral. and
 xylenn and phioem, camnbium is
side In between
13 Phloem lies towards the ahasial (lower)
groups ol
present.
trimeular nateh of centrinetal xylem and two small L So
.f
lurre,
T ylem: It shows a
centritugal sylem.
Distinguishing features:
| Lateml veins nre nbsent.
Thickly cuticularlzed upper and lower epidermis.
Sunken stomatu in the lower renidermis.
Prescnce of' transusion tisNue.
Diploxylic nature of vascular bundle.
Eternal features of miale cone (Mierosporophyll):
stalked, brown coloured, compact, large and oval or
I The male cone is teminal, shortly microsporopnys
cone axis around which numerous
conical in shupe and consists of acentral
are spirally arranged. by closely set sterile ends of the
is formed
The outer covering of' he male cone
microsporophylls usually possessing uÙcurved apices, apophysis.
L,S, of the male cone:
The L.S. shows stalk und the cone.
2 apex of the plant by a stout and broud stalk.
Male cone is attached at the central
3 The cone itself consists of a cone axis with many microsporophylls.
4 Each microsporophyll is attached to the cone axis.
horizontally flat'ened and triangular
Asingle microsporophyll is woody, more or less
Fertile part is wedge-shaped nd is expanded
structure.
6 It is difterentiated into a fertile and sterile part. distal part of:h:
distally from a narTOW point of attachment. Sterile part is the
microsporophyll whieh tapers into an upcurved apophysis.
microsporophyll bears microsporangia in
7 Lower (ubáxial) surface of the fertile part of the
groups of. 14. forming
deme ound central paplla Sporangia show radial lines of
8 Microsporangia are arranged in sporangn.
dehiscence. Many hairs are distributcd on this surface mixed with

External features of female cone (Megasporophyll):

megasporphyls arranged spirally Aad arising in
| Female reproductive body consists of
acropetal succession on the ster
the apica) neisten1 unaffected to
a rosette or a crown, leaving
2 Megasporophylls appear as year.
grow A crown of megasporophyll is farmed each
bases on the stem.
3 They leave their persistent densely covered with Irov.n nair It varies in size
from
4 Each megasporophyll is leaf-like and
6 to 12 inches. ovule bearing
megasporophyll is distinguished into a proximal (lower) peúole, a middle
5 Each dissected serile part.
portion and a distal (upper) pinnately ln C. revoluta. the upper part is very
varies witb species. (i)
6 The nature of upper slerile part only short
nae, (ü) In (. rumphii, the upper part bers
much dissected, 1ormWg m a i i In C circindlis, the pinnal: chaiacier 1S
spines which represent reduced dentate or serrate margis.
altogether absent and upper part shows only
ovules which are borne in tw: rows, rne on either
sprrophyll bears
7 The middle portion of
may be opposite or alternate. shortly stalked, ual and
side. The ovules of the tw »rowsorange
are generally yellow or or dark green coloured,
8 Ovules
smooth.
 All the ovules do not develop fully. Some of those which remain unpollinated and small,
finally aborts.
L.S, of mature ovule:
The section shows that the ovule is orthotropous.
It is unitegmic (possesses a single integument). The integument is very thick. It remains fused
with the nucellus exeept for the nucelar beak leaving asmall and narrow micropyle
The integument consists of three distinct layers-an outer fleshy layer. middle stony layer and
an inner lleshy layer. The outer and inner fleshy layers are supplied with vascular strands but
the middle stony layer receives no vascular supply.
4 The nucellus lies just below the integument and forms a nucellar beak in the region of the
Cropyle.
$ A cells of this nucellar beak dissolve themselves and form a pollen chamber that lies in
the tissue in the central region of the beak.
6 Female gametophyte. The innermost region of the ovule is filled with the tissue of female
gamctophy te. wherein lie two archegonia, situated opposite the pollen chamber.
7
Archegonial chamber: Just above the archegonia is the archegonial chamber.
8 Micropy le: The orange coloured. fleshy ovules are oval in shape and cach shows a small
point at the distal end which represents the remnant of the micropyle.
Systematic Position:
Division:Gymnosperms.
Absence of vessels.
2 Ovules naked.
3 Seeds naked
Class : Cycadophyta.
1 Wood manoxylic.
2 Large frond-like leaves.
3 Seeds with radial symmnetry.
Order : Cycadales
I Plants woody. stem unbranched.
Wood manoxylic.
3 Presence of' mucilage canals.
4 Dioecious plants.
Family : Cycadaceae.
| Leaves with circinate vernation.
2 Presence of coralloid roots
3 Megasporophylls foliar.
Genus : Cycas.
I Two types of leaves.
2 Foliage leaves pinnately compound, circinately coiled when young.
3 Presence of transfusion tissue and diploxylic vascular bundle in leaf.
4 Two types of roots.
5 Male cone large and single.
Cycas, a mature plant Cycas A bunch of corallod roots

leaflets

mdnb

Ylachis

Yachis

crCinate
vernation

scaly leaf

Cycas A single bulbil.

 Cyar Nale Cone

MCROSPORANGIA
-APOPHsiS

.
MCROSPOROPYLL
HARS

MCROSN

Gycss A microsporophyl, B, microsporangi: C, oenisced microsporangia

 Upper epidermis Paisade tissue
Cuticle
Upper hypoderis Spongy tissue

Leaf maroin
revokute

Bundie sheath Slorna Transtusion issue

(Adaxia) Cenvioetal xykem LOwur hypoderns
(Abaxiah Conalugal xylem Lower epidermis
Proorylem Phioem
Vascuar bundie

V.S. of Cycas Leaf Let LDiagra-mat

CENTRPETAL OR
METAXYLEM EPICEAMIS
CUTICLE
HYPOCERMS
PALSADE
TRANSFUSiON
ISSJe
SPONGY
TISSUE

PARENCHYMA
PROTOXYE GTOMA

TRACHEIDAL
CENTRIEUGAL XYLEM CELLS

LOWER EDICERMIS B CALCIUM CXALATE

CRYSTAL
CRUSHED PHLCEM PHLOEM

Vs fcyd eglt Ccellas)