Abstract

SANCHEZ-MONTIEL, Lucía; ARREGUIN-SANCHEZ, María de la Luz  and  FERNANDEZ-NAVA, Rafael. Young gametophytes and sporophytes of two pteridophytes: Asplenium monanthes L. (Aspleniaceae-Pteridophyta) and Elaphoglossum minutum (Pohl ex Fée) T. Moore (Lomariopsidaceae-Pteridophyta). Polibotánica [online]. 2008, n.25, pp.29-43. ISSN 1405-2768.

We describe the life cycles of Asplenium monanthes L. and Elaphoglossum minutum (Pohl ex Fée) T. Moore. The first species was collected from Tres Marías, Morelos, Mexico, in montane rain forest, the second from Parque Nacional El Chico, Hidalgo, in Pinus-Abies forest. Spores were sown in glass flasks prepared in the following manner: the flasks were layered with ceramic, river stone, mosquito net, ground maquique (adventitious roots from tree fern trunks) and water. All the material was sterilized. The flasks were sealed with plastic bags and tied with copper wire. The germination pattern of both species is of the Vittaria type, and the prothallial development is of the As-pidium type. Both cycles are isosporous. The gametophyte of E. minutum is at first heart-shaped, but by the time it reaches maturity it has taken on an elongate form with many ventral, dorsal and marginal rhizoids. In both species the cycles develop very slowly. In Asplenium sporophytes appear at 349 days and in Elaphoglossum at 350 days, making these species ill-suited for commercial exploitation.

Keywords : life cycle; Asplenium; Elapho-glossum; Mexican ferns.

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