Systematic studies in the genus Mohria (Anemiaceae: Pteridophyta). IV. Comparative gametophyte morphology in Mohria and Anemia

Abstract

The sporophyte morphology in Mohria and Anemia (Anemiaceae) is dissimilar. However, similarities in their anatomy, trichomes, spores and chromosome numbers show clearly that these genera are related. The contribution of the gametophyte to the classification and phytogeny of the Pteridophyta is largely neglected. The gametophyte of Anemiaceae is primitive in many features when compared with that of other leptosporangiate ferns. The prothallus of Mohria is considered more advanced than that of Anemia in the germination pattern of the spores, the presence of mycorrhiza in the cushion, the permanently lateral position of the meristematic region and the simpler trichome types.