The effect of amendments on Lolium perenne roots arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization when cultivated in contaminated soil

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi that colonize the roots of plants growing on lands contaminated by heavy metals may influence the phytostabilization process reducing the translocation of metals to the aboveground parts of the plant. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soil amendments (lime and lignite) on the concentration of the bioavailable form of heavy metals (CaCl2 extraction) in soil and on the colonization of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in the roots of Lolium perenne when cultivated in contaminated soil. During the experiment, the bioavailability of Pb, Cd, and Zn in soil was significantly reduced after application of the amendments, causing an increase of L. perenne shoot dry biomass. It was observed that the higher dose of lime (0.5%) resulting in amplified values of relative mycorrhizal intensity. However, independently of the dose, the treatments increased the occurrence of arbuscules in L. perenne roots, with the highest value observed after the application of 0.25% lime with 5% lignite. The results for the first time present the effect of lime and lignite application on the L. perenne roots colonization by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi indicating the increase of occurrence of arbuscules. These findings suggest that in order to explain the different responses of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi to the applied treatment further investigations are needed to identify the spore morphology. The results of the experiment were implemented to stabilize heavy metals during remediation of a spoil heap in Ruda Śląska, Poland.

Spore morphology of Taenitis, Syngramma, and Austrogramme species (Pteridoideae, Pteridaceae) from South-Eastern Asia and Oceania. II

This paper continues consideration of the spores of three paleotropical fern genera – Taenitis, Syngramma, and Austrogramme (Pteridoideae, Pteridaceae) from South-Eastern Asia and Oceania. At the second stage, we carried out a comparative scanning electron microscopy study of spores of three species of Austrogramme, four species of Syngramma, and six species of Taenitis and added information about previously studied spores of seven species of these genera. Spores of all examined species are trilete, tetrahedral or tetrahedral-globose with convex to hemispherical distal side and plane, convex or conical proximal side. The spores of Austrogramme species are the smallest, simplest in ornamentation and similar to each other. Sculpture of the proximal and distal sides are microverrucate, the surface of the spores is covered by granular deposits. Spores of most Syngrammaspecies are very similar to spores of Austrogramme species in shape and surface sculpture: their distal and proximal surfaces are microverrucate, whereas the spores of S. borneensis and S. cartilagidens have the low-tuberculate sculpture. Spores of Taenitis species are very different from the spores of Austrogramme and Syngramma. Seven of nine studied species have spores with well-expressed cingulum (T. blechnoides, T. cordata, T. diversifolia, T. interrupta, T. luzonica, T. obtusa, and T. requiniana), three species (T. cordata, T. hookeri, and T. pinnata) have spores with prominent laesural ridges. The spores have well-expressed ornamentation – tuberculate, baculate, rugate, tuberculate-rugate. The most conspicuous character of the ornamentation of spore surfaces is the presence of rodlets associated with sculpture elements. The densest rodlets are characteristic of Taenitis diversifolia, T. luzonica, T. obtusa, and T. requiniana. Spore size (equatorial diameter) ranges on average between 22 μm and 37 μm in Austrogramme, between 27 μm and 41 μm in Syngramma, and between 26 and 51 μm in Taenitis species.

Gibbosporina cyanea (Pannariaceae), a new bipartite cyanolichen from Sri Lanka with comparisons to related palaeotropical cyanogenera

Gibbosporina cyanea is described here as new to science, based on its holotype collected in Sri Lanka in the 1860s. The species is a bipartite cyanolichen in contrast to all other known Gibbosporina species, which are tripartites. The species appears to have evolved through cephalodia emancipation followed by divergence. Phyllidia indicate a cephalodiate evolutionary origin with a continued function similar to vegetative propagules. The species is considered to represent a relatively young speciation within an evolutionary old genus and G. sphaerospora is discussed as a possible candidate for being its closest known relative based on spore morphology. As the species appears to be so different from the remaining Gibbosporina species, it is compared here to representatives of other related palaeotropical cyanogenera, such as Leightoniella, Lepidocollema, Pannaria and Physma. Perispore structure is shown to be a useful character in separating these genera, including distinct clades of the non-monophyletic genera Physma and Lepidocollema. Leightoniella zeylanensis is reported here as new to Japan, and it is concluded that Pannaria lurida needs to be restudied in India and Sri Lanka.

SPORE MORPHOLOGY OF SOME BRYOPHYTA IN EGYPT

In this work, spore morphology of eight species, Tortula muralis, Tortula brevissima, Aloina brevirostris, Syntrichia leavipila, Microbryum clavallianum (Pottiaceae); Funaria hygrometrica, Entosthodon muhlenbergii, Entosthodon attenuates (Funariaceae); were examined by Light microscopy (LM) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All spores are small; the length of polar axis is between 7.5 ?m and 18.5 ?m, equatorial diameter is between 10.5 ?m and 27 ?m. The smallest spores of them are Tortula brevissima and the biggest spores of them are Entosthodon attenuates. The shapes of the spores are determined as suboblate for Tortula muralis, Aloina brevirostris, Syntrichia leavipila, and oblate for Tortula brevissima, Funaria muhlenbergii, Funaria hygrometrica, Entosthodon attenuates. The ornamentation observed can be regulate, verrucate- regulate, baculate, verrucate, clavate- foveolate, clavate, foveolate- psilate on the distal pole, spore ornamentation of the proximal face is different or less complex than the distal face. We can concluded that the spore ultrastructure give important role for identification and taxonomic significant.

Spore morphology of Selected Pteridophytes Found in the Western Ghats of India

The currents study evaluated the morphology (apperture, size, perine structures and surface ornamentation) of treated spores of 45 selected fern species from the Western Ghats of India, using Scanning Electron Microspcopy (SEM). Twenty-six species of fern spores were trilete type, while 19 of them had monolete aperture types. The size of the spore were found to be highly variable (20X20µm to 60X60µm) with an average mean spore size of 44 µmX38µm. Further more the spores were found to have a highly diverse perine ornementaion with 11 different types of perine structures. Gammate and psilatetype of perine ornamentation,and Globose and ellipsoidal spore shape were found to be the most common within the studies fern spore samples.The variability found in the spore ultra structure and perispore ornamentation of the selected pteridophytes species reflects the morphological differences observed in the sporophyte. The spores could be an important source of characteristics with systematic value in fern taxonomy.The spore morphology of the examined pteridophytes studied common, endemicor otherwise will find a significant role in future taxonomic surveys, and other morphology, Palynology, discrimination, and identification studies of pteridophytesin the Western Ghats.

On the spore ornamentation of the microsoroid ferns (microsoroideae, polypodiaceae)

Microsoroideae is the third largest of the six subfamilies of Polypodiaceae, containing over 180 species. These ferns are widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World and Oceania. We documented the spore ornamentation and integrated these data into the latest phylogenetic hypotheses, including a sampling of 100 taxa representing each of 17 major lineages of microsoroid ferns. This enabled us to reconstruct the ancestral states of the spore morphology. The results show verrucate ornamentation as an ancestral state for Goniophlebieae and Lecanoptereae, globular for Microsoreae, and rugulate surface for Lepisoreae. In addition, spore ornamentation can be used to distinguish certain clades of the microsoroid ferns. Among all five tribes, Lecanoptereae show most diversity in spore surface ornamentation.