The ligule is part of the leaf that is found at the junction of the blade and sheath of the leaf. It may take several forms, but it is commonly some form of translucent membrane or a fringe of hairs.

Where we can see ligule in Selaginella?

A small, membranous, tongue-like structure, ligule (latin ligula = a small tongue), is located at the base of each vegetative, leaf and sporophyll (Fig. 7.51). The ligule is found on the ventral (upper) surface of the leaf.

Is ligule present in Lycopodium?

Note: In Lycopodium there is a ligule, a strange tongue-like outcrop from the surface of the leaf at the base of the leaf. Leaves of Lycopodium and Selaginella can be distinguished on this basis. The ligule, which occurs very early in the growth of the leaf, is surprisingly complex at maturity.

What is the function of ligule in plant?

Of the three component organs of the grass leaf – blade, sheath and ligule – the ligule is the least studied and the least understood. Traditionally, it has been assumed to act in a passive way in protecting the culm and leaves that it encloses from the entry of water, dust and harmful spores.

What is a ligule in grasses?

Identification: Characteristics of Grasses

A ligule is an outgrowth from the sheath. Because they vary in size, shape, and texture, they are used in the identification process. Below are several examples of ligule types. Membranous. Fringe of hairs.

Auricles and ligules of giant reed

35 related questions found

Which plant has ligule in leaf?

A ligule (from Latin: ligula "strap", variant of lingula, from lingua "tongue") is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf and leafstalk of many grasses (Poaceae) and sedges. A ligule is also a strap-shaped extension of the corolla, such as that of a ray floret in plants in the daisy family Asteraceae.

What forms can a ligule take?

The ligule is an extra piece of tissue that forms at the growth point. I like to think of it as a “cuticle” that forms as the leaf blade grows. These ligules can be smooth or shaggy, pointed or flat. There are many, many different ways the ligule can take shape.

What is the function of ligule in Selaginella?

The ligule is specialized for the production and secretion of extracellular mucilage. The ligule is a structure on the adaxial surface of the microphylls and sporophylls of Selaginella and consists of apical, basal, glossopodial, and sheath cells.

Do all grasses have ligules?

Ligules and Auricles

None of the cool-season turfgrasses have ligules that appear as a fringe of hairs, but this feature is common on many weed grasses and most warm-season turfgrasses.

What is ligule and auricle?

is that ligule is (botany) in many grasses (poaceae) and some sedges (cyperaceae), the membranous appendage or ring of hairs projecting from the inner side of a leaf at the junction between the blade and the sheath while auricle is (botany) any appendage in the shape of an earlobe.

Does selaginella have microphylls?

Description. Selaginella species are creeping or ascendant plants with simple, scale-like leaves (microphylls) on branching stems from which roots also arise. ... In Selaginella, each microphyll and sporophyll has a small scale-like outgrowth called a ligule at the base of the upper surface.

What is ligule mention its significance?

A ligule is the membraneous scale that is found at the inner junction or leaf sheath between the leaf and the stem of a grass plant (also found in sedges). It is one of the key parts of a grass plant to be able to identify its species and name. ... Some species have hairy projections as ligules.

What is a fern leaf?

The leaves of ferns are often called fronds. Fronds are usually composed of a leafy blade and petiole (leaf stalk). Leaf shape, size, texture and degree of complexity vary considerably from species to species. A fern leaf or frond. ... The midrib is the main axis of the blade, and the tip of the frond is its apex.

What leaf is found in Selaginella?

Selaginella species are creeping or ascendant plants with simple, scale-like leaves (microphylls) on branching stems from which roots also arise. The stems are aerial, horizontally creeping on the substratum (as in Selaginella kraussiana), sub-erect (Selaginella trachyphylla) or erect (as in Selaginella erythropus).

What type of leaf arrangement is found in Selaginella?

The leaves are arranged in four vertical rows. Leaves present in pairs. The larger leaf of each pair is attached toward, the ventral side of the stem and the smaller leaf towards the dorsal side. The leaves bearing sporangia in their axils are called sporophylls.

What is an auricle in plants?

Definition. An ear-shaped appendage; for example, on the lip of an orchid or at the apex of the leaf sheath of Poaceae; also used for appendices not so ear-shaped, for example the appendices arising at the junction between the claw and the blade of clawed petals.

What grasses have a hairy Ligule?

In general, cool- season grasses either have ligules too small to see, or membranous ligules and warm-season grasses (ber- mudagrass, zoysiagrass) have hairy ligules and hairs around the base of the leaf.

What grass has a purple root?

Giant foxtail may be found in some lawns. An escape from cultivation that can become a troublesome weed in lawns. The nodding, bell-shaped flowers are showy, ranging from a deep blue to purple. Creeping bellflower is a cool-season perennial with a root system that is both fleshy and fibrous.

What grass has a red base?

Tall fescue is a wide-bladed grass that grows more quickly than Kentucky bluegrass. Like crabgrass, it grows in a clump, but the grass blades usually stand up tall. The grass blades of tall fescue are very wide and coarse, and the base of the plant is usually red.

Does selaginella require water for fertilization?

Water is required for the fertilization in the bryophytes that is Dryopteris and Selaginella. ... While female flowers grow under the water and with the help of long stalks they come on the surface of water.

What is the structure of ligule?

The ligule is considered to be a highly organized and differentiated leaf organ with a pholosynthetic mesophyll and an adaxial epidermis active in the synthesis of protein and polysaccharide.

Who discovered Rhynia and from where?

Fossil of genus were discovered by Kidston and Lang in 1917 from Rhynie locality in Scotland. Only two species were there - : Rhynia majer Rhynia gwynne-vaughani.

What is auricle Rice?

Each stem of rice is made up of a series of nodes and internodes. ... Where the leaf blade and the leaf sheath meet is a pair of claw like appendages, called the auricle, which encircle the stem. Coarse hairs cover the surface for the auricle. Immediately above the auricle is a thin, upright membrane called the ligule.

Does grass have hair?

At the base of the grass plant, roots grow down into the earth. Typically, grass roots are fibrous, or threadlike. ... In most grasses, a ligule surrounds the connection between the sheath and the blade. A ligule can take the form of a thin membrane or a fringe of hair-like projections.

What is a petiole on a leaf?

A plant leaf is generally composed of a petiole and a leaf blade. The petiole connects the leaf blade to the plant stem and, from a structural viewpoint, it resembles a cantilever beam.