Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2017, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (3): 322-330.DOI: 10.11983/CBB16104

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Sporangia Morphology of Ferns I. Lindsaeaceae

Xile Zhou1, Dongmei Jin1, Yicheng Liu2, Hui Shang1, Yuehong Yan1*   

  1. 1Shanghai Chenshan Plant Science Research Center, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201602, China
    2Department of Biological Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi 600004, China
  • Received:2016-05-06 Accepted:2016-07-12 Online:2017-05-01 Published:2017-05-27
  • Contact: Yan Yuehong
  • About author:

    # Co-first authors

Abstract: Sporangia are propagative organs of ferns and their morphology has great significance for fern taxonomy and phylogeny. In this study, we used sodium hypochlorite solution to observe fern sporangia. By this process, we could obtain sporangia photos under light microscopy. We studied the sporangia morphology of 13 species belonging to four genera of the fern family Lindsaeaceae and found that the shape of the capsule is ellipsoidal, with a vertical annulus; the pedicel is composed of three rows of cells. The cell number annulus is reduced in Odontosoria, Osmolindsaea, Tapeinidium and Lindsaea, whereas the volume of capsule and cell number of stomium and capsule are reduced in Odontosoria, Tapeinidium, Osmolindsaea and Lindsaea. As well, the same genus shows more differences between species, such as Odontosoria biflora and O. chinensis as well as Osmolindsaea odorata and Os. japonica, but less difference between the genera of Tapeinidium and Lindsaea. Studies of sporangia morphology will be useful for further research in other groups of ferns.