Induction of Two-dimensional Growth by Red and Green Light in the Fern Anemia phyllitidis L. Sw.

Abstract

Summary In continuous red light provided from the beginning of sowing, spores of the fern Anemia phyllitidis develop one-dimensional multicellular filaments. In spores incubated in darkness after one day of red light, development ceases after formation of only one- to three-celled filaments. However, even after four weeks of dark incubation viability of such non-growing filaments is not lost and upon re-irradiation with red light growth is resumed which now leads to a large percentage of two-dimensional prothallia, and a first longitudinal cell wall was already observed after three days. After resumption of growth under green or yellow light, a certain percentage of non-growing protonemata also responds with two-dimensional morphology. Only after resumption of growth in far red light non-growing protonemata develop exclusively filamentously. The results are discussed in relation to a possible mediation by the blue light photoreceptor.