Scanning electron microscopy of gametophyte characters and antheridial opening in some Ceylonese species of Thelypteridaceae

Abstract

Gametophytes of the fern family Thelypteridaceae were cultivated aseptically under controlled conditions and investigated with the scanning electron microscope. This report concerns six species, viz. Sphaerostephanos arbuscula S. subtruncatus, S. unitus, Macrothelypteris torresiana, Amauropelta hakgalensis and Pneumatopteris truncata. The gametophytes have some features in common. They are more or less heart‐shaped and have glandular trichomes on surfaces and margins. In the middle is an elongated cushion bearing gametangia and rhizoids on the lower surface. Antheridia are of the type common to leptosporangiates, consisting of a basal cell, a ring cell and a cap cell. Archegonia consist externally of four rows of cells meeting at the top with triangular cells. The following features are distinguishing. The form of the margin of the thallus, type of hairiness, and the abundance of glandular hairs. Acicular hairs occur in Sphaerostephanos unitus and Pneumatopteris truncata. In Amauropelta hakgalensis the archegonium deviates from the common type in having a basal layer that consists of eight cells instead of four. In Macrothelypteris torresiana the four or three top cells are markedly irregular. In Sphaerostephanos arbuscula and Amauropelta hakgalensis the antheridial cap cell is sometimes divided. The manner of opening of antheridia and release of spermatozoids varies in each of the species investigated. This investigation reveals that it is possible to identify the species from gametophyte characters only.