Spore morphology of Parahemionitis arifolia (Cheilanthoideae, Pteridaceae)

Abstract

A study of spores of the single species of the genus Parahemionitis Panigrahi was performed using the method of scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Spores of Parahemionitis arifolia (Burm. f.) Panigrahi are tetrahedral trilete, roundish-triangular in polar position, with micro-wrinkled exospore and sculptured perispore. Sculpture of perispore is cristate-reticulate, cristae are quite regularly distributed and form reticulum with small mostly closed polygonal luminae of different shape. Laesura arms are often obscured by numerous cristae. Size of spores is 53–63 × 40–42 μm. Spores of P. arifolia are similar in perispore sculpture with those of species of some cheilanthoid ferns.

Keywords

• cheilanthoideae
• china
• parahemionitis
• pteridaceae
• spore
• sculpture of perispore
• scanning electronic microscopy (sem)