Morphology & Glossary

The terms often used to describe quillworts

Quillworts have been described as essentially a "cone on a corm". Each plant consists of a whorl of sporophylls, with tips elongated and photosynthetic, and a subterranean rootstock, which produces the sporophylls from its upper surface and roots below. With a few exceptions, all quillworts around the world share this basic architecture.

Sporophylls

The shape of the sporophylls is the origin of the name "quillwort". Each sporophyll (often used interchangeably with "leaf") is produced from the apical meristem. While the sporophyll is very small, the ligule covers it, possibly preventing desiccation.

A

alae n. -


B

bacculate adj. -
bast bundle n. (= peripheral strand) -

C

corm n. (= rhizomorph, rootstock, trunk) -
cristate adj. -


D

E

F

G

gemmae n. -
glossopodium n. -
gynospore n. (= macrospore, megaspore) -

H

I

J

K

L

labium n. -
ligule n. -

M

macrospore n. (= gynospore, megaspore) -
megaspore n. (= gynospore, macrospore) -

N

O

P

peripheral strand n. (= bast bundle) -
phyllopodium n. -
prismatic cells n. -

Q

R

rhizomorph n. (= corm, rootstock, trunk) -
roostock n. (= corm, rhizomorph, trunk) -

S

scale n. -
sporangium n. -
stomata n. -

T

U

V

velum n. -

W

X

Y

Z