Spore wall morphogenesis of
Ophioglossum thermale var.
nipponicum was examined by transmission electron microscopy. The spore wall of this species consists of three layers: endospore, exospore,
and perispore. The spore wall development begins at the tetrad stage. At first, the outer undulating lamellar layer of the
exospore (Lo) is formed on the spore plasma membrane in advance of the inner accumulating lamellar layer (Li) of the exospore.
Next, the homogeneous layer of the exospore (H) is deposited on the outer lamellar layer. Both lamellar layers may be derived
from spore cytoplasm; and the homogeneous layer, from the tapetum. Then the endospore (EN) is formed. It may be derived from
spore cytoplasm. The membranous perispore (PE), derived from the tapetum, covers the exospore surface as the final layer.
Though the ornamentation of this species differs distinctly from that of
O. vulgatum, the results mentioned above are fundamentally in accordance with the data obtained from
O. vulgatum (Lugardon, 1971). Therefore, the pattern of spore wall morphogenesis appears to be very stable in the genus
Ophioglossum.
Key words exospore - homogeneous layer - lamellar layer -
Ophioglossum thermale var.nipponicum
- perispore - spore wall