Plant Kingdom Question 2

Question: Identify the pair of heterosporous pteridophytes among the following:

(1) Lycopodium and Selaginella

(2) Selaginella and Salvinia

(3) Psilotum and Salvinia

(4) Equisetum and Salvinia

Show Answer

Answer: (2) Selaginella and Salvinia

Explaination-

Heterospory is the production of spores of two different sizes and of two different developmental patterns -smaller male or microspores and larger female or megaspores. Heterospory is the most important evolutionary development in vascular plants because it has ultimately led to seed development, e.g., Selaginella, Salvinia, Azolla, etc.