The Investigation of Comparative Spore Morphologies of Acrocarpous and Pleurocarpous Two Mosses (Bryophyta)

OpenAlex · İngilizce

Bryophyta members in the subkingdom Bryobiotina are distributed in a wide variety of habitats. Mosses are morphologically divided into two large groups: acrocarpous and pleurocarpous. Acrocarpic species have arid character and pleurocarpic species are distributed in more moist regions. The spores of the pleurocarpous Brachythecium salebrosum (Hoffm. ex F. Weber & D. Mohr) Schimp. and the acrocarpous Crossidium squamiferum var. pottioideum (De Not.) Mönk. were examined in comparison in this study. Spore slides were prepared using both Erdtman (acetolysis) and Wodehouse methods and examined under a light microscope (LM). As a result of the analyses, it was found that the spores of C. squamiferum var. pottioideum were oblate in both methods, while the spores of B. salebrosum were suboblate in the acetolysis method and oblate in the Wodehouse method. Spores of both taxa are classified as small spores. Furthermore, the equatorial axis is longer than the polar axis in the spores of both taxa and the thicknesses of the intine layer of the spores are almost identical at 0.50 µm (B. salebrosum) and 0.53 µm (C. squamiferum var. pottioideum). In addition, the thickness of the sclerine of B. salebrosum spores was about 0.70 µm in both methods, while it was 0.56 µm in acetolysed spores of C. squamiferum var. pottioideum and 0.78 µm in Wodehouse treated spores. Both taxa have monolete and trilete spores. On the other hand, SEM examinations revealed that B. salebrosum has gemmate ornamentation, while C. squamiferum var. pottioideum has verrucate ornamentation. The findings obtained as a result of the studies helped to reveal the differences between the spores of taxa in different morphological groups and brought a different perspective in their ecological evaluation.