Spore Age and Sterilization Affects Germination and Early Gametophyte Development of Platycerium bifurcatum

The effects of spore age and sterilization on spore germination and early gametophyte development were investigated in the fern, Platycerium bifurcatum. The highest germination per- centage of sterilized spores was obtained with 2-3 month old spores. Further increase in spore age leads to a decline in germination and primary rhizoid initiation. In contrast, spore age had no effect on the germination of unsterilized spores, where maximum response was observed with spores of both storage periods tested, 2 and 14 months. Increasing spore age delays early game- tophyte development. In cultures of sterilized spores, this was evident from both a decrease in the length of the primary rhizoid and the decreased number of rhizoids and cells per gametophyte. Although longer primary rhizoids developed from unsterilized spores of both ages, after 10 days other growth parameters of gametophytes were similar or even lower compared to those from sterilized spores.

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