Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Friday - November 07, 2014
From: Colleyville, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: General Botany, Ferns
Title: Environmental factors that affect lifecycle stages of maidenhair fern.
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
What are the environmental factors that can affect the lifecycle stages of a maidenhair fern, particularly A. trichorleopis? Thank youANSWER:
Ferns have two distinct free-livng forms: 1) the larger sporophyte, the form we generally call the fern plant, that produces spores that are released and grow into 2) the tiny gametophyte, or prothallus, that is not easily seen but produces the gametes (eggs and sperm) that combine to form a new sporophyte. The eggs are stationary on the prothallus and the sperm are released and have to swim to the eggs in order to fertilize them. The gametophyte is usually dependent on constant moisture for the sperm to reach the egg. Thus, one of the most important environmental factors for the life cycle of ferns is the availability of water. George Diggs and Barney Lipscomb in The Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas that Adiantum tricholepis (Fuzzy maidenhair fern) sporulates "spring through Nov. depending on rains." The dispersal of the spores also depends on water and since the spores form the gametophytes that ultimately produce the sporophyte (the fern plants that are perennial) water is vital to the establishment of new populations of plants.
You can find information on other environmental factors that can effect the fern life cycle by searching the Internet (however, not specifically for Adiantum tricholepis). These factors include:
- Light—amount and wavelength
- Temperature
- Soils—type, pH, chemical make-up including toxic substances
You can see information and photographs of Adiantum tricholepsis on BackyardNature.net in an excerpt from Jim Conrad's Naturalist Newsletter.
You can read the description of Adiantum tricholepsis in eFloras (Flora of North America) which says that this fern sporulates "late winter—early spring."
If you are seeking information about growing ferns, especially inside your home, the University of Georgia Extension Service has an excellent article, Growing Ferns.
More General Botany Questions
Inducing flowering out of season
June 22, 2007 - We are currently conducting research on insect transmission of a plant virus to flowering weeds. Is there a process to trick biennials into flowering in their first year?
view the full question and answer
What happens when plant shoot apex is removed from Nashville TN
April 23, 2011 - What happens to the plant when a shoot apex is removed?
view the full question and answer
How do plants living in various climates differ?
February 25, 2008 - Do plants that live in different climates have different tecture or are they just totally different?
view the full question and answer
How many seeds in a Balsam Gourd fruit?
January 12, 2016 - How many seeds should I expect to find inside the fruit of Ibervillea Londoners?
view the full question and answer
Plants adding calcium to soil
June 08, 2006 - Hi,
I am looking for a resource to help determine the functions of native plants. For instance, nitrogen fixing can be found in Indigo, Lead plant, lupines. Are there other plants that add back cal...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |