| Abstract Detail
Pteridological Section/AFS Gabriel Y Galan, Jose Maria [1], Rolleri, Cristina H [2], Prada, Carmen [1], Passarelli, Lilian [2], Ciciarelli, Mercedes [2]. Sporophyte morphology and gametophyte development of Blechnum serrulatum Rich. Blechnum serrulatum Rich. is a pantropical species that occurs in the S de Florida, S of México, Mesoamerica, Antilles, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, the Guianas, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, NE of Argentina, Malaysia, New Caledonia and Australia. B. serrulatum typically grows in swamps, marshes and humid areas subject to periodical flows but also lives as a terrestrial, scandent to hemiepiphytic plant in rain forests, from the sea level to 500 m. It is a distinctive, evergreen species, with large sporophytes, suberect, scaly, internally amylaceous rhizomes, monomorphic fronds with long, glabrous stipes and monopinnate laminae. Both sporophyte and gametophyte phases were studied for the first time in specimens from the large geographical area of the species. Characters of the sporophyte under analysis were the external and internal morphology of axes and laminae, types and distribution of indument, adult epidermal patterns of pinnae and indusia, and spores. A detailed analysis of the anatomy of aerenchyma, a type of tissue not often find in ferns, was also included, due to the fact that B. serrulatum bears a well developed system of air passages interrupted by diaphragms all along the stipes. This chambered structure is absent in rhizomes, which massive internal parenchyma lack of air spaces, and accumulates abundant starch. We also analyzed the sexual phase of this species, which remained unknown. The study included the spore germination, the complete development of gametophytes, gametangia formation, and mechanisms of sexual reproduction.
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1 - Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Biología Vegetal I, Avda. Jose Antonio Nováis, 2, Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain
2 - Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo de La Plata, Laboratorio de Estudios de Anatomía Vegetal Evolutiva y Sistemática (LEAVES), 64 entre 120 y diagonal 113, B1904 DZB, La Plata, Argentina
Keywords:
Blechnum serrulatum
morphology
development
sporophyte
Gametophyte.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for BSA Sections
Session: 1
Location: Alpine B/Snowbird Center
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2009
Time: 8:00 AM
Number: 1001
Abstract ID:299 |
