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Abstract
ABSTRACT In order to successfully establish themselves in their natural environment, ferns need habitats with abiotic conditions that are suitable for spore germination and gametophyte development. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of abiotic factors on the initial development of Cyathea phalerata cultivated in vitro. Spore germination and gametophyte development were assessed under varying conditions of surface sterilization, pH, temperature and photoperiod. Exogenous contamination was eliminated by sterilizing spores with 2.5 % NaClO for 15 min and sowing them into a culture medium supplemented with nystatin. Spores germinated at all pHs tested. Gametophytic development was faster in acidic pHs. Cultures at 25 °C exhibited the highest percentages of germination and laminar gametophytes. The species produced its highest percentages of gametophytes in cultures with photoperiods between 6 and 18 h. The optimal abiotic conditions found here for in vitro development of C. phalerata are similar to those found in its natural habitat. The southern limit of this species to north of the 30th parallel in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, may be because further south spores do not encounter the ideal combined conditions of temperature, pH and photoperiod determined in the laboratory.
Highlights
For the sporophytes of ferns to settle in their natural environment, they need habitats and abiotic conditions that are suitable for the germination of spores and the development of gametophytes (Page 1979)
In order to successfully establish themselves in their natural environment, ferns need habitats with abiotic conditions that are suitable for spore germination and gametophyte development
In vitro culture provides an environment in which conditions are controlled, making it possible to evaluate the influence of abiotic factors on the germination of spores and the initial development, considering that the morphological structure of fern gametophytes appears to be highly conserved across in vitro and in situ environments (Farrar et al 2008)
Summary
For the sporophytes of ferns to settle in their natural environment, they need habitats and abiotic conditions that are suitable for the germination of spores and the development of gametophytes (Page 1979). Arborescent ferns play an important role in tropical forests and, in particular, due to its long and erect caudices, they provide a habitat for many epiphytic species (Schmitt & Windisch 2010; Schneider & Schmitt 2011). These plants are targets of extractive exploitation, in the South of Brazil, which has a negative impact on the availability of microhabitats for epiphytes that preferentially or exclusively occur on their caudices (Schmitt & Windisch 2005)
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