Table Of ContentThe Gymnosperms
THE GYMNOSPERMS
Chhaya Biswas D B.M. Johri
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg GmbH
Cover photograph: Taxus baccata. Courtesy Prof. B.D. Sharma,
JNV University, Jodhpur, India
Dr. Cbhaya Biswas
Formerly Principal, Gargi College
University of Delhi South Campus
New Delhi 110 049, India
Prof. (Retired) B.M. Johri
Central Reference Library
University of Delhi,
Delhi 110 007, India
Copyright © I 997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
Originally published by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York in 1997
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
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ISBN 978-3-662-13166-4 ISBN 978-3-662-13164-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-13164-0
To
Our Teacher
Professor Panchanan Maheshwari
(1904-1966)
Preface
The Gymnosperms is a well-illustrated comprehensive account of living
and fossil plants of this group. Chapters 1 and 2 give a general account, and
describe similarities and dissimilarities with pteridophytes and angiosperms.
Chapter 3 deals with classification. The next 18 chapters (4-21) deal
sequentially with fossil and living taxa. Phylogenetic relationships are
considered for each order. Chapter 22 discusses the in vitro experimental
studies on the growth, development and differentiation of vegetative and
reproductive organs and tissues. Chapter 23 summarizes the economic
importance of gymnosperms. Chapter 24 gives the conciuding remarks.
Thus, there is a complete coverage of significant findings concerning
morphology, anatomy, reproduction, development of embryo and seed,
cytology, and -evolutionary trends and phylogeny. Ultrastructural and
histochemical details are given wherever considered necessary.
There is a comprehensive list of literature citations, and a plant index.
This book is essentially meant for the postgraduate students in India and
abroad. Undergraduate students can also use it profitably. The entire course
should be taught in 25-30 lectures/hours and about 75 hours of field and
laboratory work.
CHHAYA BISWAS
BRu MoHAN JoHRI
Acknowledgements
For the preparation of this book we are grateful to:
Dr. B.S. Venkatachala, former Director, Birbal Sahni Institute of
Palaeobotany, Lucknow, for allowing Dr. Chhaya Biswas to work in the
Library of the Institute, and to Dr. H.K. Maheshwari, Dr. Sheila Chandra,
Dr. A.K. Srivastava, Dr. Usha Bajpai, Dr. Sukh Devi, Dr. S.C. Srivastava
and Dr. Jayashree Bannerjee for helping her to update the information,
fruitful discussions and suggestions concerning fossil members of the
gymnosperms, to the Librarian of the Institute for providing the literature.
(The Late) Professor P.N. Mehra, Department of Botany, Punjab University,
Chandigarh, for scrutinizing the outlines of this book and giving valuable
advice, for providing his monograph on the Indian Conifers, Gnetophytes
and Phylogeny of Gymnosperms; Professor B.D. Sharma, Department of
Botany, JNV University, Jodhpur, for a critical review of several chapters
of the manuscript; to Professor S.P. Bhatnagar, and Dr. S.S. Bhojwani,
Department of Botany, University of Delhi, for providing relevant literature
and fruitful discussions; Dr. P.S. Srivastava, Department of Botany, Hamdard
(deemed) University, New Delhi, for important literature and valuable
suggestions; eur colleagues in Gargi College, University of Delhi, Dr. Bharati
Bhattacharyya for useful suggestions, Dr. Asha Juneja and Dr. Lalita Sehgal
for making available several publications from their personal collections,
and Dr. Gita Mathur for scrutinizing some of the chapters; our students
Arindam Bhattacharyya and Somdutta Sinha Roy for technical assistance
in the preparation of the manuscript.
Professor Upendra Baxi (former Vice-Chancellor), Professor A.L. Nagar
(former Pro-Vice-Chancellor), Professor A.P. Srivastava (former Librarian)
and Mr. Sher Singh (Deputy Librarian), University of Delhi, for providing
an office in the Library where this work was completed.
Mr. Kishen Lal and Mr. S.K. Das for preparing the photographs,
Mr. R.K. Gupta for typing the manuscript, and Professor N.N. Bhandari
(then Head of the Department of Botany, University of Delhi) for allowing
us to use the departmental facilities during the preparation of this book.
Our family members, especially Mr. Alok Biswas and Mrs. Raj Johri,
for their encouragement and interest in this work.
We wish to express our gratitude to all the persons and institutions
mentioned above.
CHHAYA BISWAS
B.M. JOHRI
Contents
Preface vii
Acknowledgements ix
1. Introduction 1-11
Antiquity and Fossil History 1
Geographical Distribution 4
Cycadales and Ginkgoales 4
Pinaceae 6
Taxodiaceae 6
Cupressaceae 7
Podocarpaceae 7
Araucariaceae 7
Cephalotaxaceae 7
Taxales 8
Ephedrales 8
Welwitschiales 8
Gnetales 8
Characteristic Features 8
Gymnosperms and Pteridophytes 9
Gymnosperms and Angiosperms 10
2. Seed Development 12-19
Microsporangium 12
Microsporogenesis 12
Male Gametophyte 13
Ovule 14
Megasporogenesis 14
Megaspore Wall 15
Female Gametophyte 16
Archegonia 16
Pollination and Fertilization 17
Pollination 17
Fertilization 18
Embryo 19
Seed 19
Seed-Coat 19
Temporal Considerations 19
3. Classification 20-23
xii Contents
4. Progymnospermopsida 24-26
Phylogenetic Considerations of Archaeopteris 25
5. Gymnospermopsida 27
Gymnospermopsida-Cycadophytes
(Chapters 6-8)
6. Pteridospermales 28-35
Lyginopteridaceae 29
Lyginopteris oldhamia (Calymmatotheca hoeninghausi) 29
Habit 29
Root 30
Stem 30
Leaf 30
Sporangia 33
Seed 33
Phylogenetic Considerations 34
7. Cycadeoidales 36-43
Cycadeoidaceae 38
Cycadeoidea 38
Stem 38
Leaves 38
Reproduction 39
Phylogenetic Considerations 42
8. Cycadales 44-81
Fossil Cycads 44
Nilssonia 46
Baenia 47
Androstrobus manis 47
Living Cycads 47
Root 47
Stem 48
Leaf 49
Reproduction 50
Spermatozoid 51
Ovule 52
Pollen Tube 52
Embryo 54
Chromosome Number 55
Cycadaceae 56
Cycas 56
Contents xiii
Morphology 56
Anatomy 59
Root 59
Stem 59
Leaf 61
Reproduction 63
Male Cone 63
Microsporangium 66
Microsporogenesis 66
Male Gametophyte 67
Megasporophyll 68
Ovule 68
Megasporogenesis 71
Female Gametophyte 71
Archegonium 71
Pollination 73
Fertilization 77
Embryogeny 77
Differentiation of Embryo 79
Seed 79
Chromosome Number 80
Temporal Consideration 80
Phylogenetic Considerations 81
Gymnospermopsida-Gymnosperms of Uncertain
Relationship (Chapters 9-12)
9. Caytoniales 82-85
Caytoniaceae-Caytonia 82
Leaf 82
Pollen-bearing Organs 82
Ovule-bearing Organs 84
Phylogenetic Considerations 85
10. Glossopteridales 86-93
Glossopteridaceae-Glossopteris 86
Root 86
Leaf 88
Male Fructifications 88
Ovulate Structures 89
Phylogenetic Considerations 92
11. Pentoxylales 94-97
Pentoxylon 94
Habit 94
