Division Filicinophyta (Pteridophyta).

1. It is a well developed plant with adventitious roots and stem is a rhizome.
2. The leaves are relatively large compared to the other parts and are called fronds.
3. The young leaves are rolled with circinate fashions which grow into a frond.
4. A fronds consist of the rachis which is sub divided to pinna which in turn holds the pinnule.
5. The rachis possess ramenta (brown scales) for protection.
6. The fronds have spores underneath which are born in clusters called sori and the spores
7. The gametophyte is a thin heart shaped pro-thallus which lacks cuticle therefore requires moist conditions to prevent them from drying out. The prothallus possess both the male antheridia which is attached near the rhizoids and the female archegonia which is attached near the notch. The gametes are produced and fertilization occurs giving rise to zygote which develops into sporophyte generation.

1. The sporophyte is well developed with roots for anchorage and for absorption of water and mineral salts.
2. Have stems for support and leaves with rachis for upward transport of water and mineral salts.
3. They also possess chlorophyll thus can photosynthesize.
4. The roots also serve as parenting organ for vegetative propagation.
5. The rachis and young leaves possess ramenta for protection from mechanical injury and desiccation.
6. They possess cuticle on their leaves to prevent excessive loss of water through transpiration.
7. They have mechanical tissue (scterenchyma and collenchyma) for support a conducting tissue (phloem and xylem) for transport.
8. The sori are found on the underside of the leaf, this prevents them from direct sunlight thus desiccation. The sori in turn are protected by inducium.
9. The leaves are large in size to increase area for absorption of sun light.
10. The sporangium has mechanism for dispersing the spores due to the presence of annulus cells and stadium cells.

Wet conditions

1. The stem is underground and can survive unfavorable conditions such as drought.
2. The gametophyte and sporophyte are independent of each other and each can photosynthesize.
3. The archegonia produce solutions which attract the anthrezoids chemotactically.
4. The anthrezoids have flagella which can help them to swim to the archegonia.

Dry conditions

1. Required for dispersal of spores by the wind.
2. Required for drying and rupturing of the capsule.
3. The gametes develop in protective structures, the antheridia and archegonia in dry conditions.

Similarities

1. Fertilization requires wet conditions because the flagellated anthrezoids have to swim through water to the archegonia.
2. They both show alternation of generation with the gametophyte alternating with the sporophyte.
3. They all produce spores which require dry conditions for dispersal.
4. They both have archegonia and antheridia as reproductive structures.
5. Meiosis occurs during spore formation in the spore mother cells contained in the capsule
6. They have stomata for gaseous exchange
7. The gametophyte has rhizoids for anchorage and absorption.