Asplenium Nidus Research Articles

Gordonia asplenii sp. nov., isolated from humic soil on bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus L.)

A novel member of the actinobacteria, designated strain A-T 0013T, was isolated from humic soil on a bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus L.) collected from Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. According the results of a polyphasic taxonomic study, A-T 0013T had characteristics typical of members of the genus Gordonia. The 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that A-T 0013T shared ≤98 % sequence similarity with all members of the genus Gordonia. The most closely related species was Gordonia effusa IFM 10200T (97.92 % sequence similarity). The average nucleotide identity based on blast (ANIb) value with G. effusa IFM 10200T was 76.81 %. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The whole-cell sugars contained ribose, arabinose and galactose. The predominant menaquinone was MK-9(H2). The predominant fatty acids were C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω9c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c), and C18 : 0 10-methyl. Mycolic acid was present. The polar lipid profile for this strain ncluded diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannosides. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 66.1 mol%. Differentiation of A-T 0013T from the most closely related species, Gordonia effusa IFM 10200T, was evident from digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of 21.8 %. On the basis of the results of comparative analysis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data, strain A-T 0013T is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Gordonia, for which the name Gordonia asplenii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is A-T 0013T (=TBRC 11910T=NBRC 114549T).

Molecular characterization of Asplenium nidus L. – A potential ornamental fern species from Andaman

Asplenium nidus L. is one of the most important terrestrial fern in Andaman and Nicobar Islands with great ornamental value. Inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis was used to study the genetic diversity of the species A. nidus L. collected from different geographical locations of the Island. Among 15 ISSR primers screened, 9 primers produced amplification and produced a total of 222 reproducible amplified bands. The number of amplified bands varied from 10 in ISSR 11 to 44 in UBC 842 with an average of 24.7 bands per primer. The range of polymorphic bands and percent polymorphism observed were 1 to 5 and 33.3 to 83.3, respectively. The polymorphic information content value of ISSR marker ranged from 0.365 to 0.485. Cluster analysis grouped the twelve accessions into three clusters (Cluster I, II and III) at Jaccard’s similarity coefficient value of 0.69 on basis of geographical locations of the accessions. The cluster I was further divided into two sub-clusters Ia and Ib at the coefficient value of 0.77 and it includes the accessions belonging to South Andaman, one each accession collected from two different locations, Little Andaman and Rangat (Middle Andaman) were grouped separately as clusters II and III, respectively. The genetic variability studies with ISSR marker grouped the accessions of A. nidus L.on basis of their geographical locations and it would help in rapid identification of polymorphism and assist in germplasm collection, conservation and domestication programmes.

Complete chloroplast genome sequence of Asplenium nidus (Aspleniaceae), an economically important foliage fern

It is first reported on complete chloroplast genome of Asplenium nidus, an economically important fern. The genome is 156,173 bp in length with 40.8% GC content, comprising a pair of inverted repeats (22,834 bp for each) separated by a large single copy (89,014 bp) and a small single copy (21,491 bp) region. It encodes 130 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 33 tRNA genes, eight rRNA genes, and one pseudogene. The maximum-likelihood tree shows that A. nidus is sister to A. prolongatum with 100% support value. The complete chloroplast genome of A. nidus provides powerful valuable molecular data to address classification issues of Asplenium.

The Autecology of Genus Dischidia (Asclepiadaceae) in Bangka Island: Characteristics of Vegetation and Abiotic Environmental Factors Affecting Abundance

Dischidia is an epiphytic plant, it is used as herbal medicine and has economic value. In addition, Dischidia also has an ecological function. Moreover, some species of Dischidia are endemic in a particular region. Various forest types occur in Bangka Island serves as natural habitat for this epiphytic plant. This research aimed to record the diversity and abundance of Dischidia and analyze those environmental factors which affect its abundance. The research was conducted in August – September 2016 at Bangka Island. Three plots of 20 × 20 m² were placed with a minimum interval of 50 m in the habitat where Dischidia are found. The species diversity and abundance of Dischidia as well as abiotic factors such as temperature, humidity, light intensity, wind speed, and altitude were recorded in these plots. The vegetation structure was analyzed based on index of diversity, index of dominancy and index of evenness. Data on the environmental condition and abundance of Dischidia were then analyzed using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) method with Canoco 4.5 software. Five species of Dischidia were found in Bangka Island that are Dischidia bengalensis , Dischidia imbricate , Dischidia nummularia , Dischidia rafflesiana , and Dischidia hirsute . Dischidia is found in 14 species of host plants. D. imbricate (23 individual plants) occurred in the heath forest at Pejem showed the highest abundance. Epiphytic fern plants, the Asplenium nidus (27 individual plants), was the dominant epiphytes found in the host tree of Dischidia The CCA showed that light intensity, temperature and humidity influenced the abundance of Dischidia .

INVENTARISASI TUMBUHAN PAKU DI KAMPUS I UNIVERSITAS MEDAN AREA

Inventory of ferns in the University of Medan Area subdistrict Percut Sei Tuan district of Deli Serdang North Sumatra. Ferns generaly live in moist place and open. In the campus of the University of Medan Area 1 has a variety of tree, thus enabling the discovery of epiphytic and terrestrial nails done in campus of the University of Medan Area. The method used in this research is descriptive exploration techniques and documentation, that one the rescarch by describing an object without exaggerated. The sample used in the total sample using purposive sampling method. The results obtained many as 15 species consist of 11 epiphytic ferns are (<em>Davallia trichomanides, Nephrolepis hirsutula, Asplenium nidus, Pyrrosia piloselloides, Pyrrosia lanceolata, Tectaria sp, Drymoglossum piloselloides, Drynaria quercifolia, Selliguea sp, Goniophlebium verrucosum, Vittaria elongata</em>), and four terrestrial namely (<em>Adiantum trafeziforme, Acrostichum aureum, Lygodium circinnatum, Thelypteris</em><em> sp</em>)

IDENTIFIKASI JENIS TUMBUHAN BAWAH YANG BERKHASIAT OBAT DI KAWASAN ARBORETUM SYLVA UNIVERSITAS TANJUNGPURA

Understorey plants has many function, beside for the ornamental plants, it also has a function for medicinal plants. The research aimed to exploration understorey plant in Arboretum Sylva Universitas Tanjungpura and identification the understorey plants as medicinal plant. Arboretum Sylva Universitas Tanjungpura was located in the central of Pontianak City with average area around 3.2 hectares. The methods for exploration and identification the understorey plants were with inventory methods in all area of arboretum. The plant was collected and identification the used of plant to medicine was conduct by in depth interview with the person who has used the plants and from references of literature. The result of research found 23 understorey plants and divided into 19 families. The understorey plants which has a function for medicinal plants consist of Imperata cylindrica, Asplenium nidus, Lophatherum gracile, Stenochlaena palustris, Piper aduncum Lim, Melastoma malabathricum, Mimosa pudica, Ageratum conyzoides, Pyrrosia piloselloides, Justicia gendarussa, Cordyline fruiticosa, Sansevieria trifasciata, Manihot esculenta, Capsicum frutescens, Nymphaea alba, Ananas comosus, Euphorbia tithymaloides, Phyllanthus urinaria, Saccharum officinarum, Alpinia galanga, Aloe vera, Piper ningrum and Pandanus amaryllifolius. The families of understorey plants consist of Poaceace, Aspleniaceae, Blechnaceae, Piperaceace, Melastomaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Polypodiaceae, Acanthaceae, Asparagaceae, Ruscaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Solanaceae, Nymphaeaceae, Bromeliaceae, Phyllanthaceae, Zingiberaceae, Xanthorrhoeaceae, and Pandanaceae. The plants use to overcome the fever, headache, reduce high blood pressure, and anti-inflamation.Keyword: Arboretum Sylva, fever, medicinal plants, understorey plants, Zingiberaceae

Physical Conditions Regulate the Fungal to Bacterial Ratios of a Tropical Suspended Soil

As a source of ‘suspended soils’, epiphytes contribute large amounts of organic matter to the canopy of tropical rain forests. Microbes associated with epiphytes are responsible for much of the nutrient cycling taking place in rain forest canopies. However, soils suspended far above the ground in living organisms differ from soil on the forest floor, and traditional predictors of soil microbial community composition and functioning (nutrient availability and the activity of soil organisms) are likely to be less important. We conducted an experiment in the rain forest biome at the Eden Project in the U.K. to explore how biotic and abiotic conditions determine microbial community composition and functioning in a suspended soil. To simulate their natural epiphytic lifestyle, bird’s nest ferns (Asplenium nidus) were placed on a custom-built canopy platform suspended 8 m above the ground. Ammonium nitrate and earthworm treatments were applied to ferns in a factorial design. Extracellular enzyme activity and Phospholipid Fatty Acid (PLFA) profiles were determined at zero, three and six months. We observed no significant differences in either enzyme activity or PLFA profiles between any of the treatments. Instead, we observed decreases in β-glucosidase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase activity, and an increase in phenol oxidase activity across all treatments and controls over time. An increase in the relative abundance of fungi during the experiment meant that the microbial communities in the Eden Project ferns after six months were comparable with ferns sampled from primary tropical rain forest in Borneo.

Comparative analysis of inverted repeats of polypod fern (Polypodiales) plastomes reveals two hypervariable regions

BackgroundFerns are large and underexplored group of vascular plants (~ 11 thousands species). The genomic data available by now include low coverage nuclear genomes sequences and partial sequences of mitochondrial genomes for six species and several plastid genomes.ResultsWe characterized plastid genomes of three species of Dryopteris, which is one of the largest fern genera, using sequencing of chloroplast DNA enriched samples and performed comparative analysis with available plastomes of Polypodiales, the most species-rich group of ferns. We also sequenced the plastome of Adianthum hispidulum (Pteridaceae). Unexpectedly, we found high variability in the IR region, including duplication of rrn16 in D. blanfordii, complete loss of trnI-GAU in D. filix-mas, its pseudogenization due to the loss of an exon in D. blanfordii. Analysis of previously reported plastomes of Polypodiales demonstrated that Woodwardia unigemmata and Lepisorus clathratus have unusual insertions in the IR region. The sequence of these inserted regions has high similarity to several LSC fragments of ferns outside of Polypodiales and to spacer between tRNA-CGA and tRNA-TTT genes of mitochondrial genome of Asplenium nidus. We suggest that this reflects the ancient DNA transfer from mitochondrial to plastid genome occurred in a common ancestor of ferns. We determined the marked conservation of gene content and relative evolution rate of genes and intergenic spacers in the IRs of Polypodiales. Faster evolution of the four intergenic regions had been demonstrated (trnA- orf42, rrn16-rps12, rps7-psbA and ycf2-trnN).ConclusionsIRs of Polypodiales plastomes are dynamic, driven by such events as gene loss, duplication and putative lateral transfer from mitochondria.

Stomatal cell wall composition: distinctive structural patterns associated with different phylogenetic groups.

Background and Aims Stomatal morphology and function have remained largely conserved throughout ∼400 million years of plant evolution. However, plant cell wall composition has evolved and changed. Here stomatal cell wall composition was investigated in different vascular plant groups in attempt to understand their possible effect on stomatal function. Methods A renewed look at stomatal cell walls was attempted utilizing digitalized polar microscopy, confocal microscopy, histology and a numerical finite-elements simulation. The six species of vascular plants chosen for this study cover a broad structural, ecophysiological and evolutionary spectrum: ferns (Asplenium nidus and Platycerium bifurcatum) and angiosperms (Arabidopsis thaliana and Commelina erecta) with kidney-shaped stomata, and grasses (angiosperms, family Poaceae) with dumbbell-shaped stomata (Sorghum bicolor and Triticum aestivum). Key Results Three distinct patterns of cellulose crystallinity in stomatal cell walls were observed: Type I (kidney-shaped stomata, ferns), Type II (kidney-shaped stomata, angiosperms) and Type III (dumbbell-shaped stomata, grasses). The different stomatal cell wall attributes investigated (cellulose crystallinity, pectins, lignin, phenolics) exhibited taxon-specific patterns, with reciprocal substitution of structural elements in the end-walls of kidney-shaped stomata. According to a numerical bio-mechanical model, the end walls of kidney-shaped stomata develop the highest stresses during opening. Conclusions The data presented demonstrate for the first time the existence of distinct spatial patterns of varying cellulose crystallinity in guard cell walls. It is also highly intriguing that in angiosperms crystalline cellulose appears to have replaced lignin that occurs in the stomatal end-walls of ferns serving a similar wall strengthening function. Such taxon-specific spatial patterns of cell wall components could imply different biomechanical functions, which in turn could be a consequence of differences in environmental selection along the course of plant evolution.

How Tropical Epiphytes at the Eden Project Contribute to Rainforest Canopy Science

Understanding the ecological patterns and ecosystem processes of tropical rainforest canopies is becoming increasingly urgent in the face of widespread deforestation. However, accessing rainforest canopies is far from simple, and performing manipulative experiments in the canopy is particularly challenging. Botanic gardens provide an ideal ‘halfway house’ between field experiments and controlled laboratory conditions. As an ideal venue for testing equipment and refining ideas, botanic gardens also provide scientists with a direct route to public engagement, and potentially to research impact. Here we describe the ‘fernarium’, an adjustable canopy research platform for the standardisation, manipulation and detailed study of epiphytic bird’s nest ferns (Asplenium nidus) at the Eden Project in Cornwall. The fernarium provides a platform not only for the scientific study of bird’s nest ferns, but for public engagement, science communication and a wider understanding of the urgent environmental issues surrounding tropical rainforests. We include some preliminary results from an experiment in which the microbial community of a fern soil at the Eden Project was found to be similar in composition to that of a fern from lowland tropical rainforest in Malaysian Borneo. This study illustrates how preliminary experiments in an indoor rainforest can inform experimentaltechniques and procedures fundamental to the scientific study of genuine rainforest canopies.

Potent anticancer, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of isolated flavonoids from Asplenium nidus

Bioactive flavonoids derived from Asplenium nidus (fern) possess potent tumoricidal, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant activities that are responsible for their chemo-preventive potential against multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Fractionation and recognition of the flavonoids were attained through gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Twelve known and three unknown compounds were revealed by fractions 1 & 3, representing 13.12% and 2.61% out of the total composition (15.12%). Gliricidin7-O-hexoside was found 3.83% followed by quercetin-7-O-rutinoside (3.09%) keampferol-3-O-rutinoside (0.19%) and myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside (1.10%). The anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant activities of present fractions along with pure bioactive constituents were tested against three MDR pathogens through microbroth dilution: MIC50 ranges for amoxicillin, gliricidin7-O-hexoside and quercetin 7-O-rutinoside were 0.0003–0.06μg/mL, 0.004–0.06μg/mL and 0.005–6.0μg/mL, respectively. Gliricidin-7-O-hexoside and quercetin-7-O-rutinoside’s inhibitory activities were comparable to standard antibiotic, amoxicillin (p>0.05). Herein we report for the first time a number of flavonoids that may act as the source of therapeutically useful compounds against MDR pathogens. In addition, the most extracted flavonoids (gliricidin-7-O-hexoside (78.1%) and quercetin-7-O-rutinoside (69.2%) showed a significant in vitro antioxidant activity i.e. DPPH radical scavenging activity. Both fractions of A. nidus showed obvious cytotoxic effects on human hepatoma HepG2 and human carcinoma HeLa cells. Moreover, the anti-cancer activity generally enhanced with ameliorating antioxidant and antibacterial potential of fern’s flavonoids. These findings illustrate the potential of this fern as a probable source of bioactive constituents and provide a scientific basis for its folklore or ethno-medicinal uses for infectious diseases and cancers.

PERBANYAKAN VEGETATIF SECARA CANGKOK PIPER MINIATUM BL.

Ninety percent from approximately 1200 plant species belonged to Piper genus(Piperaceae) have not been explorated their phytochemical potency and biological activities. Piper miniatum has beeing used traditionally in Papua as spices and tonic. However, the propagation effort has never been done yet so its population in nature is decresed gradually. Therefore, simple propagation is conducted that can be adopted by the local people in order to cultivate as well as to explore its potency as antibacterial agent. The propagation experiment was carried out using air layering method with variable treatment of internode maturity ( R1, R2, R3 ), growth medium (Selaginela sp.,Asplenium nidus root, compost) with completely randomized design with 10 replications.Air layering media using Asplenium nidus root of 18 weeks gave the best respon.Key words: Piper miniatum, Air layering.

Competition can lead to unexpected patterns in tropical ant communities

Ecological communities are structured by competitive, predatory, mutualistic and parasitic interactions combined with chance events. Separating deterministic from stochastic processes is possible, but finding statistical evidence for specific biological interactions is challenging. We attempt to solve this problem for ant communities nesting in epiphytic bird’s nest ferns (Asplenium nidus) in Borneo’s lowland rainforest. By recording the frequencies with which each and every single ant species occurred together, we were able to test statistically for patterns associated with interspecific competition. We found evidence for competition, but the resulting co-occurrence pattern was the opposite of what we expected. Rather than detecting species segregation—the classical hallmark of competition—we found species aggregation. Moreover, our approach of testing individual pairwise interactions mostly revealed spatially positive rather than negative associations. Significant negative interactions were only detected among large ants, and among species of the subfamily Ponerinae. Remarkably, the results from this study, and from a corroborating analysis of ant communities known to be structured by competition, suggest that competition within the ants leads to species aggregation rather than segregation. We believe this unexpected result is linked with the displacement of species following asymmetric competition. We conclude that analysing co-occurrence frequencies across complete species assemblages, separately for each species, and for each unique pairwise combination of species, represents a subtle yet powerful way of detecting structure and compartmentalisation in ecological communities.

Isotherm and kinetic study on Ni(II) and Pb(II) biosorption by the fern Asplenium nidus L.

The extent of biosorption of Pb(II) and Ni(II) by dried leaves of the fern Asplenium nidus depends on experimental conditions, such as initial pH, initial concentration, contact time and shaking speed. Kinetic data were fitted to pseudo first order, pseudo second order, intraparticle diffusion and Elovich models. Isotherm data were fitted to two-parameter and three-parameter isotherm models. A. nidus adsorbed 58% of Ni(II) and 95% of Pb(II) after 30min and 75min, respectively, under the experimental conditions provided. The protonated biosorbent adsorbed 75% of Ni(II) after 30min. Kinetic data fitted the pseudo second order model and the intraparticle diffusion model showed that intraparticle diffusion is not the only process that governs the adsorption process. Isotherm studies showed that Langmuir–Freundlich isotherm model explains the adsorption process well.

DIVERSITY OF EXINE’S ORNAMENTAL CHARACTER STUDIES IN FERN AND FLOWERING PLANT

<p>Pollen or pollen wall consists of two layers, namely exine and intine. Exine (outer layer) composed of sporopolenin, and intine (inner layer) composed of cellulose. Pollen wall structure, especially the Exine, is one of the characters used for identification. The shape and type of pollen or spores of each specific plant species. Exine’s ornamentation have variations in form and structure. That like are thorns, scratches, basins and other types of ornamentation. Pollen and spore sampling is done randomly in some plants that are supposed to represent members berspora ferns (Asplenium nidus, Platycerium bifurcatum, and Microsorum diversifolium) and pollen of flowering plants (Ipomea sp., Tridax procumben. And flowers Crinum asiaticum). Spores of Asplenium nidus to have a corrugate apertura monocalpalae with ornaments. Platycerium bifurcatum spores aperture shape gemenete dicolpale with ornaments, while the spores Microsorum diversifolium has the form apertura psilatum dicolpalae with ornaments. Polen has Tridax procumben apertura echinatus peripole with ornaments, Ipomea sp. has the form apertura saculate peripole with ornaments, while the Crinum asiaticum has the form apertura clevate peripole with ornaments. The diversity of spore of plant species in nature have affect the diversity of forms of ornamentation owned. </p><p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Diversity, exine, ornament’s type, spores and pollen.</p>

Ephypitic Ferns (Pteridophyta) from Raung Mount Banyuwangi, East Java Indonesia

An investigation of epiphytic Pteridophytes diversity at Mount Raung, Banyuwangi, East Java Province, Indonesia, was carried out in 7 February 2015. As many as 11 Pteridophytes from 3 families had been identified based on their morphological chracteristic. Among them, four species of Family Aspleniaceae, including Asplenium confusum Tardieu & Ching, Asplenium nidus L., Asplenium salignum Blume, and Asplenium tenerumoides S.B.Andrews. Polypodiaceae include Leptochilus wrightii (Hooker & Baker) X. C. Zhang, Microsorum punctatum (L.) Copel., Pyrrosia bicolor ( Kaulf. ) Ching, and Schellolepis percussa (Cav.) Pic.Serm. Vittariaceae include Antrophyum formosanum Hieron., Vittaria ensiformis Sw., and Vittaria lineata (L.) Sm. which is the smallest specimen with less than 10 cm long.Keywords: Mount Raung, Pteridophyta, Epiphytic, Families.

Effects of photosynthetic photon flux density and photoperiod on water quality and crop production in a loach (Misgurnus anguillicandatus) – nest fern (Asplenium nidus) raft aquaponics system

This study focused on effects of photoperiod and light intensity on production of loach and a shade or low light plant, Nest fern Asplenium nidus Linn. A factorial arrangement of 6 treatments, 3 light intensities in photosynthetic photon flux density (22, 59, 109 μmol s−1 m−2 with T5 tube) X 2 photoperiods (3-h or 6-h light per day) were assigned to 12 tanks. Each tank was an aquaponics system containing fish, loach Misgurnus anguillicandatus and raft-supporting plant, Nest fern A. nidus Linn.. Water loss was 8.9% or 0.1% d−1 in 12 weeks' production period, due to leaf transpiration mainly and evaporation in the feeding area. Water quality remained safe and stable. No fish died. Overall average weight gain was 124.5% for fish and 167.5% for plant. High light intensity and long photoperiod favored both plant and fish growth and improved water quality, such as lessened the accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in water, consequently, lowered BOD and COD and slowed down pH decline. This raft aquaponics system was demonstrated effective in water saving, nutrient conservation and fish and plant production. Longer culture period is feasible for bigger loach and higher fern production, consequently, more lucrative profit in this aquaponics system.

A portable reflectance-absorptance-transmittance meter for photosynthetic work on vascular plant leaves

PAM (pulse amplitude modulation) fluorometers can be used to estimate the electron transport rate (ETR) [μmol(e−) m−2 s−1] from photosynthetic yield determinations, provided the absorptance (\(Ab{t_\lambda }\)) of the photoorganism is known. The standard assumed value used for absorptance is 0.84 (leaf absorptance factor, AbtF). We described a reflectance-absorptancetransmittance (RAT) meter for routine experimental measurements of the actual absorptance of leaves. The RAT uses a red-green-blue (RGB) LED diode light source to measure absorptances at wavelengths suitable for use with PAM fluorometers and infrared gas analysers. Results using the RAT were compared to \(Ab{t_\lambda }\) spectra using a Taylor integrating sphere on bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus), banana, Doryanthes excelsa, Kalanchoe daigremontiana, and sugarcane. Parallel venation had no significant effect upon Abt465 in banana, Doryanthes, a Dendrobium orchid, pineapple, and sugarcane, but there was a slight difference in the case of the fern A. nidus. The average Abt465 (≈ 0.96) and Abt625 (≈ 0.89) were ≈14% and 6% higher than the standard value (AbtF = 0.84). The PAR-range Abt400–700 was only ≈ 5% higher than the standard value (≈ 0.88) based on averaged absorptance from the blue, green, and red light data and from where the RGB-diode was used as a ‘white’ light source. In some species, absorptances at blue and red wavelengths are quite different (e.g. water lily). Reflectance measurements of leaves using the RAT would also be useful for remote sensing studies.

Polarized endoplasmic reticulum aggregations in the establishing division plane of protodermal cells of the fern Asplenium nidus.

The determination of the division plane in protodermal cells of the fern Asplenium nidus occurs during interphase with the formation of the phragmosome, the organization of which is controlled by the actomyosin system. Usually, the phragmosomes between adjacent cells were oriented on the same plane. In the phragmosomal cortical cytoplasm, an interphase microtubule (MT) ring was formed and large quantities of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes were gathered, forming an interphase U-like ER bundle. During preprophase/prophase, the interphase MT ring and the U-like ER bundle were transformed into a MT and an ER preprophase band (PPB), respectively. Parts of the ER-PPB were maintained during mitosis. Furthermore, the plasmalemma as well as the nuclear envelope displayed local polarization on the phragmosome plane, while the cytoplasm between them was occupied by distinct ER aggregations. These consistent findings suggest that Α. nidus protodermal cells constitute a unique system in which three elements of the endomembrane system (ER, plasmalemma, and nuclear envelope) show specific characteristics in the establishing division plane. Our experimental data support that the organization of the U-like ER bundle is controlled on a cellular level by the actomyosin system and intercellularly by factors emitted from the leaf apex. The possible role of the above endomembrane system elements on the mechanism that coordinates the determination of the division plane between adjacent cells in protodermal tissue of A. nidus is discussed.

INHERITANCE OF CRESTED FROND IN ASPLENIUM NIDUS AND NEPHROLEPIS EXALTATA

In many fern genera with horticulture value, frond crestation is a highly desirable trait in any normally non-crested frond species. The knowledge on genetic control of the trait is valuable for a fern breeding program. An inheritance study for crested frond in Asplenium (Emperor Group) and Nephrolepis ‘Gretnae’ was thus performed. The selfing progeny showed a discrete segregation. The chi-square analysis revealed that the trait was under the control of dominant allele. For the tetraploid Asplenium nidus mutant, a simplex status was confirmed. Two complete dominant alleles of C and F with additive epistatic interaction were postulated to be responsible for frond variation of crestation patterns. In Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Gretnae’, three groups of progeny were recorded. An S allele which was incompletely dominant over an s allele was suggested.