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Sporangia and Spores in the Fern Genera Spicantopsis and Struthiopteris (Blechnaceae, Polypodiopsida)

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Abstract

Struthiopteris (Blechnaceae) has recently been classified on the basis of molecular and morphological evidence, and some of its species are now included in the sister genus Spicantopsis. However, the lack of studies on several important morphological features impedes a sound assessment of their congruence with this new systematic arrangement, as well as of their range of variation and taxonomic value in this group of ferns. Here we present a study on the spores and sporangia using both light and scanning electron microscopy in Struthiopteris and Spicantopsis, using samples of all their species, and almost all their varieties. We provide full morphological descriptions of the spores and sporangia of all these taxa. We point out that the perispore structure and ornamentation and the number and the thickness of stomium cells in the sporangium clearly distinguish both genera.

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Acknowledgments

The Universidad Complutense de Madrid partially supported this research through the funding of a project PR26/16-20295, and a field trip to Iceland (International Mobility Program 2016).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Botany, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 12 Avenida Jose Antonio Nováis, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    S. Molino, C. Prada, J. M. Gabriel y Galán & R. Vázquez

  2. Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Borgir vid Nordurslod, 600, Akureyri, Iceland

    P. Wasowicz

  3. Unit of Botany, Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2 Calle Darwin, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    B. Estébanez

Authors
  1. S. Molino
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  2. C. Prada
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  3. J. M. Gabriel y Galán
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  4. P. Wasowicz
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  5. B. Estébanez
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  6. R. Vázquez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Molino.

Additional information

Jose Maria Gabriel y Galan is deceased.

For our colleague Jose Maria Gabriel y Galan, without whom this and so many other papers would not have been possible. Always in our thoughts.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

List of material used, with basic voucher information, ordered by taxon:

Spicantopsis amabilis (Makino) Nakai. JAPAN: Faurié 5612 07/1904, (P01406648); Honshū: Echigo, Tsugawa, Togashi 1576 16/09/1957, (P01406637); Mie, Utobi, Seto 6672 23/11/1956, (P01608624); Nara, Shôfuken-dake, Tawaga & Iwatsuki 5129 4/08/1962, (P01575933); Tochigi, Tagawa & Iwatsuki 1913 13/09/1958, (P01608623).

Spicantopsis hancockii (Hance) Masam. TAIWAN: Chiayi: Alishan, Arisan, Iwasaki s.n. 22/07/1970, (TNS832514); Taipei: Beitou, Knapp 3338 18/01/2014, (P02439073); Taitung: Taiwu, Knapp 3430 2/06/2014, (P02439164); Yilan: Nan’ao Township, Taipingshan, Knapp 4311 3/09/2016, (P02435597); ibidimen, Knapp & Huang 239 5/12/2005, (P02436496).

Spicantopsis niponica (Kunze) Nakai. JAPAN: without collector, locality and date, (TNS01147387); Honshū: Hyôgo, Myôkô-san, Hikami-gun, Tagawa & Iwatsuki 3014 23/09/1960, (P01575937); Kanawaga, Kantō, Yokohama, Maximowicz s.n. 1862, (P01406592); Wakayama, Tanabe-shi, Nakahechi-cho, Mizukami, B. Estébanez s.n., 21/08/2017 (MACB110657).

Struthiopteris castanea (Makino & Nemoto) Nakai. JAPAN: Honshū: Fukui, Imadate-gun, Ikeda-cho, Kanmuri-yama, Saito s.n. no date (TNS792168); Hyogo, Mikana-gun, Onsen-cho, Ueyama-kkogen, Tobayashi s.n. 25/07/1999, (TNS700642); Shinano, Shumominochi-gun, Minochi-mura, Mizushima 13,853 28/06/1956, (S1982).

Struthiopteris fallax (Lange) S. Molino, Gabriel y Galán & Wasowicz. ICELAND: Deildartunguhver, Wasowicz & Gabriel y Galán s.n., jul 2016, (MACB109359) (3 individuals).

Struthiopteris spicant (L.) Weiss var. spicant. SPAIN: Canary Islands:Anaga, Tenerife, Gabriel y Galán s.n. 14/09/2017, (MACB110658); Cantabria: Camaleño, Cosgaya, Gabriel y Galán s.n. 8/10/2016, (MACB109622); Galicia: Monte Aloya, Tuy, Pajarón & Pangua s.n. 15/07/1993, (MACB59142).

Struthiopteris spicant var. homophyllum (Merino) Gabriel y Galán & R. Pino. PORTUGAL: Braga, Vieira do Minho, Prada s.n 1/10/2004, (MACB109621). SPAIN: Galicia: between Tabagón y Tomiño, Gabriel y Galán s.n. 19/03/2016, (MACB109617); Santiago, Cantaleta, Barrera s.n. 29/07/1967, (MACB32367); Santiago, no collector 29/07/2007, (MA824045). Salamanca: Batuecas, Gabriel y Galán s.n. 15/05/2016, (MACB109626).

Struthiopteris spicant var. pradae S.Molino & Gabriel y Galán. SPAIN: Asturias: Valdés, Paladeperre, Gabriel y Galán s.n. 22/03/2016, (MACB109613); ibidem, 3/08/2016, (MACB109615); Burgos: Sierra de San Millán, Fuentes s.n. 27/09/1975. (MACB5994), Zamora: Aciberos, Molino, Seral, Gabriel y Galán & de la Fuente s.n. 23/09/2017, (MACB110654).

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Molino, S., Prada, C., Gabriel y Galán, J.M. et al. Sporangia and Spores in the Fern Genera Spicantopsis and Struthiopteris (Blechnaceae, Polypodiopsida). Bot. Rev. 86, 76–92 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12229-020-09217-z

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