The gametophyte of Huperzia selago in culture

Whittier DP., Štorchová H
AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL 97: 149-154, 2007

Keywords: AXENIC CULTURE, LYCOPODIACEAE, LUCIDULUM
Abstract: Cultured gametophytes of Huperzia selago are dorsiventral and strap-shaped. They are basically the same as cultured gametophytes of other terrestrial Huperzia species and also essentially the same as gametophytes of H. selago collected from loose soil. Besides shape, the cultured gametophytes have anatomical features found in gametophytes of H. selago from loose soil. These gametophytes are Type III gametophytes as characterized by Bruchmann in 1898. Although both gametangia occur on individual cultured gametophytes, the meristematic groove produces them at different times and they are not intermixed. The number of terrestrial Huperzia species with described gametophytes is still small (six), but that number has tripled as a result of the recent studies on these gametophytes in culture. Because all the terrestrial Huperzio species to date have Type III gametophytes, it would not be unexpected for the undescribed gametophytes of other species in this group to also be Type III gametophytes.
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IEB authors: Helena Štorchová