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Spores of myrmecophytic ferns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

Alice F. Tryon
Alice F. Tryon
Affiliation:
Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Mass. 02138, U.S.A.
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Synopsis

The structure and diversity of fern spores, based on SEM studies, are assessed in relation to general evolutionary trends and systematics. A review of spores of myrmecophytic ferns includes SEM figures of eight species and the ant Iridomyrmex cordataus. The diversity, especially in Lecanopteris spores, is correlated with other characters indicating systematic differences of the species. Convergence is shown in the echinate spores of the neotropical Solanopteris and those of the paleotropical Drynaria and Selliguea. Evidence for adaptation of spore structure to transport by ants is especially clear in the development of filamentous elements, unique among pteridophytes, in Lecanopteris mirabilis. These demonstrate an unusual labile nature of the wall, and provide insight into the functional role of intricate surface formation of spores.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 86: The Biology of Pteridophytes , 1985 , pp. 105 - 110
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1985

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