Some details about Sporophyte

Sporophyte 

                   The plant body of the fern plant is the sporophyte. It has root, stem and leaves. The stem is the underground rhizome. Cluster of adventitious roots grow from the rhizome. The leaves of fern plant are large and are called fronds. They are pinnately compound, consisting of leaflets called pinnae. The young leaves coiled like a watch spring are called circinate vernation. The stem and the petiole are covered with numerous brownish scales known as the ramental.

Reproduction 

               The sporophyte reproduces by spore. The spore bearing leaves are called as sporophyll. On the under surface of the sporophyll, two rows of dark brown structures are formed called Sorus. Each sorus consists of many spore sacs or sporangia which produce spores. It is covered by kidney shaped out growth called indusium.  

Structure of Sporangium 

              Each sporangium consists of a long multicellular stalk and a capsule. The capsule is spherical in shape, encloses spore mother cells. These cells by meiosis produce four haploid spores. When the spores mature, the capsule dehisces and liberate the spores.