Abstract
The frond of Ophioglossum consists of a sterile segment and a fertile segment or spike. An investigation of fertile spike elongation reveals that growth of the spike proceeds by activity of an intercalary meristem located in the most distal region of the peduncle subtending the sporangial area. Anatomical comparisons of all regions of developing spikes, counts of mitotic figures along the length of spikes of various ages, determination of cell lengths of peduncle ground parenchyma cells, and historadioautography of spikes treated with H3‐thymidine confirms the presence in the apical portion of the peduncle of a region of frequently dividing cells intercalated between two regions of more mature tissues. Marking experiments indicate that the petiole of the sterile segment of the frond elongates in a similar fashion. Although this type of intercalary meristem is rather common in angiosperm flower scapes and peduncles, this is the first detailed analysis of this type of growth in a pteridophyte genus.
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