Thin, filiform, unbranched, colorless and multicellular scales arise from the lower part of the thallus. It attaches the thallus to the soil or other material and absorbs water and mineral salts. Scales protect the thallus from desiccation in unfavorable environments.

Slender, linear, unbranched, colorless and unicellular rhizoids arise from the lower surface of the thallus. Rhizoids are of two types. Smooth and rough rhizoids. Rhizoids anchor the thallus to soil or other material and absorb water and mineral salts.

Fern prothallus is a gametophytic plant. Its body cannot be divided into roots, stems and leaves. That is, they are thallus shaped. The thallus is green, flattened, hemispherical, flattened, multicellular and cordate. It has a large groove at its tip. This is called the anterior notch. Prothallus being green can produce food through photosynthesis.

1. Thallus: Fern prothallus is a gametophytic plant. Its body cannot be divided into roots, stems and leaves. That is, they are thallus shaped. The thallus is green, flattened, hemispherical, flattened, multicellular and cordate. It has a large groove at its tip. This is called the anterior notch. Prothallus being green can produce food through photosynthesis.
2. Rhizoids: Slender, linear, unbranched, colorless and unicellular rhizoids arise from the lower surface of the thallus. Rhizoids are of two types. Smooth and rough rhizoids. Rhizoids anchor the thallus to soil or other material and absorb water and mineral salts.
3. Scales: Thin, filiform, unbranched, colorless and multicellular scales arise from the lower part of the thallus. It attaches the thallus to the soil or other material and absorbs water and mineral salts. Scales protect the thallus from desiccation in unfavorable environments.
4. Genitalia: Pteris is a companion plant. Their male and female genitalia are located in the same thallus. Its male genitalia is called antheridium and female genitalia is called archegonium.
(i) Antheridium: On the underside of the thallus several spherical or ovoid stamens antheridia grow. At its base are two ring cells and a lid cell. Inside the antheridium are 20-50 sperm mother cells or androcytes. Each spermatozoon matures into a multi-flagellated spermatozoon.
(ii) Archegonium: Under the anterior groove several female archegonia of pitcher or flax shape are produced. It consists of two parts. Neck and Abdomen. The neck is slightly curved and composed of few neck duct cells. Abdomen contains an ovary and an abdominal duct cell. The cervical duct cells and ventral duct cells of the mature archegonium fuse to form a duct. The alimentary canal is filled with mucilage and malic acid.

1. It is green and heart shaped.
2. An anterior notch is present on the top of the thallus.
3. Rhizoids arise from the lower part of the thallus.
4. The thallus contains the male antheridium and the female archegonium.

Fern spores germinate in favorable environment to form 4-6 celled protonema. The cells on both sides of the protonema divide repeatedly to form a green, horizontal, hemispherical, flattened and multicellular heart shaped structure called fern prothallus.

Sporangia are produced along the lower margin of the leaves of Pteris. The sporangia together form a brown kidney-shaped sorus. The upper part of sporangium is called capsule. Inside the capsule are sporogenous cells. 16 spore mother cells are produced from sporogenous cells. In the process of meiosis, 64 spores are produced from 16 spore mother cells. The resulting spores are dark brown in color and have the same characteristics. It is double-layered and equipped with germpores. After spore formation, the water holding capacity of the sporangium decreases and becomes dry. This causes tension on the annulus and ruptures the stoma transversely. As a result, the spores are released. Spores germinate to form new gametophyte plants.

Sporangia arise from the placenta or amara along the underside of the leaves of Pteris. The sporangia together form a brown kidney-shaped sorus. Each sporangium consists of two parts.
1. Pedicel or Sporangiophore: Each sporangium has a short segment at its base. It is called a stalk or sporangiophore.
2. Capsule: The upper part of sporangium is called capsule. The parts of the capsule are:
(i) Annulus: The thick covering of chitin on the capsule wall is called annulus. It is monolayer, elastic and absorbent.
(ii) Stomium: The ring in the capsule wall with a thin membrane is called stomium. It helps in spore excretion.
(iii) Spores: Inside the capsule there are sporogenous cells. 16 spore mother cells are produced from sporogenous cells. Each spore mother cell divides by meiosis to produce 4 spores. That is, 64 spores are produced from 16 spore mother cells. Spores are dark brown in color, bilayered and germpored. Spores are homosporous or homosporous.

(i) Upper layer: The upper layer of the sheet is called upper layer. It is composed of single cells. Cuticles are present on the surface.
(ii) Hypodermis: The hypodermis is composed of unicellular cells. At the bottom there are tiny sporangia along the edges. Spores are produced inside the sporangium. At the base there is a leaf pore.
(iii) Mesophyll tissue: Mesophyll tissue is present in the middle of both skins. It is composed of spongy and palisade parenchyma. Parenchyma cells contain chlorophyll and have air cavities. Its steely hydrocentric.

(i) Epidermis: The outer layer of rachis is called epidermis or epidermis. It is unilayered and composed of parenchyma cells.
(ii) Hypodermis: The inner layer of epidermis is called hypodermis or hypodermis. It is composed of sclerenchyma cells.
(iii) Cortex: The inner layer of hypodermis is called cortex. It is multi-layered. The cortex consists of horse-shaped styli or vascular bundles. Its vascular bundles are hydrocentric i.e. xylem in the center and phloem around it.