- sporangium: a capsule that contains spores
- sporangia: a cluster of sporangium
- sori: clusters of sporangia on the frond surface
Sori can be used as an identification tool, check out these photos:
Epiphytic ferns, like all ferns, reproduce with spores rather than seeds. Spores are single-celled reproductive units that have a range of terms associated with them:
Sori can be used as an identification tool, check out these photos: If you're interested in the mechanisms and details of spore dispersal, check out this natural history website. And because no spore blog would be complete without a fern life cycle, here is a nice diagram to express the details of this amazing process: Spores are present on different species at different times of the year so its always worth keeping an eye out for these fascinating little features!
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Subscribe to NZ Epiphyte Blog:Like us on Facebook!
Catherine KirbyI work with NZ's native vascular epiphytes at the University of Waikato. I completed an MSc on epiphyte ecology and the shrub epiphyte Griselinia lucida and have recently published the Field Guide to NZ's Epiphytes, Vines & Mistletoes. Categories
All
Archives
August 2016
|