Apospory in Pteris sulcata L

W. N. Steil
1919 Botanical Gazette  
Historical Although apospory was discovered in the mosses by PRINGSHEIM (i8) and STAHL (iv) a short time after apogamy had been found in Pteris cretica albo-lineata by FARLOW (ii), apospory remained unknown in the Pteridophytes until DRUERY (6, 7) reported the phenomenon in Athyrium Filix-foemina var. clarissima Jones. Prothallia of this fern were observed to form either from the head or the stalk of the sporangium which was arrested in its development. The prothallia of aposporous origin
more » ... ed antheridia and archegonia. DRUERY (8) also reported the first case of apical apospory, namely in Polystichum angulare var. pulcherrimum Wills. The tips of the leaves of this species of fern produced the gametophyte as a direct vegetative outgrowth. BOWER (2) published a brief summary of his investigations of apospory in Athyrium Filix-foemina var. clarissima Jones and Polystichum angulare var. pulcherrimum Wills, the material for the investigation having been placed at his disposal by DRUERY. Sex organs were also observed to develop on the prothallia of the Polystichum angulare variety. The main portion of the paper, however, is not concerned with original studies, but with a discussion of "short cuts " in the life history of the fern. Apospory was also discovered by BOWER (3) in Trichomanes pyxidiferum and T. alatum. In the former the gametophyte generation was produced from aborted sporangia; in the latter there was soral and apical apospory. Sex organs were formed in T. pyxidiferum, but in T. alatum archegonia were absent and antheridia were never developed to maturity. Only in T. alatum were sporophytes observed to develop from the aposporously produced prothallia, and these sporophytes were of apogamous origin. BOWER did not seem to be convinced that apospory and 469 This content downloaded from 080.082.
doi:10.1086/332500 fatcat:jj6bziueanbdvjqa6lwklvk7q4