Other Random Moments & Pictures at the fieldtrip

Our group members:
(From left) Clive Seet, Tan Yong Yi, Deepak Alagu, Harish Kumar, Jeron Liaw

Miscellaneous photos of our trip 

1) The Beginning of Life

The earliest plants on Earth were probably aquatic in origin such as Algae. 

Artificial Stromatolite Pedestal Rocks

                                             

The significance of stromatolite in relation to the evolution of plants.

The presence of stromatolites suggest the existence of cyanobacteria way back in primordial times, hence it can be inferred that the plants actually evolved from organisms from water, namely algae and cyanobacteria.

2) Bryophytes

Bryophytes such as liverworts and mosses managed to move on to land. However, they still require moist habitats. They are usually very small (not more than 4 cm per plant) and often found coating substrates such as rocks and base of tree trunks.

Thalloid Liverwort with Gemmae Cups

Moss with Hornworts in the Centre

Close Up on Sporophyte Generation of Mosses

Key difference between a leafy liverwort and a moss:

Leafy liverworts do not have stomata as they are more primitive, whereas mosses have stomata in their sporophytes.

2a) Fern Allies

The plants soon evolved and they were capable of conducting water through “tubes”. The Pteridophytes are the earliest vascular plants. Although the fern allies and ferns are now able to live away from water, they still need water for completing their life cycle.

Whisk Ferns (Fern Ally that Assembles a Whisk Broom)

Salleginela

Horsetail

2b) Ferns

3 Different Sori Arrangements:

Here are some differences between ferns and fern allies:

• Ferns tend to have megaphylls while fern allies tend to have microphylls.
• Ferns have sori with sporangiums, while fern allies have strobili, cones made up of microphylls. 
• Ferns have large frond size but fern allies have small frond size. 

3a) Gymnosperms: Cycads

Male Cycad Cone

Female Cycad Cone

Close Up of Female Cycad Cone

Cycads have thick and sometimes sharp leaves. This is because of two main reasons, as elaborated below:

• Thick leaves reduce the rate of loss of water through transpiration especially during drought seasons.
• Sharp leaves are necessary to fend off herbivores and omnivores which graze on them.

3b) Gymosperms: Conifers

Male Conifer Cone

Female Conifer Cone

We are able to distinguish conifers from angiosperms as the seeds in an angiosperm is surrounded in fruit flesh, while the seeds in a pine cone rest exposed within the seed bracts of a cone.