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Palynology of selected species of Fissidens (Hedw.)

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Abstract

Spores from 19 species of the subgenus Aloma Kindb. of the moss genus Fissidens were analyzed by light and scanning electron microscopy. Aloma is the largest subgenus of Fissidentaceae and is characterized by the presence of a peristome of scariosus type. The spores of the subgenus Aloma are present in monads, size small to very small, heteropolar, plano-convex, with a proximal aperture region, and the sporoderm is formed by a perine, exine, and intine. The intine is not stratified, the exine is psilate, and the perine granulated. The ornamentation elements may occur singly or grouped on the surface of the spore. The aperture region shows irregular contours, ranging from circular to elongated, due to the weakness of the sporoderm proximal pole. The observed variations among species are related to different patterns of distribution of the sporoderm granules and nanogranules. Quantitative analysis combined with qualitative results did not allow all species of the subgenus Aloma to be distinguished. The results of this study demonstrate that the spore is a useful tool for taxonomic studies, and suggest that its characters be included in phylogenetic analyses, to assist in the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of mosses.

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Abbreviations

DM:

Largest diameter in polar view

Dm:

Smallest diameter in polar view

st:

Sclerine thickness

\( \overline{X} \) :

Mean

S:

Standard deviation

\( {\text{S}}_{{\bar{X}}} \) :

Standard error

CI:

Confidence interval

CV:

Coefficient of variability

R:

Range

SEM:

Scanning electron microscopy

LM:

Light microscopy

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Centro Universitário do Leste de Minas Gerais (Unilestemg), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro/Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora for logistical support and facilities, to the curators of herbaria in Brazil: Herbarium Maria Eneida P. Kauffman Fidalgo, Institute of Botany, Department of the Environment of the State of São Paulo (SP); Herbarium of the Botany Department of the Emílio Goeldi Museum Paraense in Belém, State of Pará (MG); Plant Systematics and Evolution Herbarium of the Botany Department of the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro (R); Herbarium of the Anchieta Research Institute, São Leopoldo, State of Rio Grande do Sul (PACA), University Herbarium of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro (HRJ); and Laboratory for Microscopy and Microanalysis, Federal University of Viçosa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Universitário Do Leste de Minas Gerais, Rua Bárbara Heliodora, 725, Bom Retiro, 35160-215, Ipatinga, MG, Brazil

    I. C. Caldeira

  2. Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil

    A. P. Luizi-Ponzo

  3. Departamento de Botânica, Museu Nacional/UFRJ, Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    V. G. Esteves

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  1. I. C. Caldeira
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  2. A. P. Luizi-Ponzo
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  3. V. G. Esteves
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Correspondence to I. C. Caldeira.

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Caldeira, I.C., Luizi-Ponzo, A.P. & Esteves, V.G. Palynology of selected species of Fissidens (Hedw.). Plant Syst Evol 299, 187–195 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-012-0714-5

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