Spore Morphology of Pteridophytes from China XI. Huperziaceae

The morphology of spores of 2 genera,22 species of Huperziaceae from China was examined using scanning electron microscope(SEM).The present investigation provides scientific basis for Huperziaceae classification and system evolution.The results show that the spores,with a trilete,are radially symmetrical and tetrahedron.The spores are often obtuse triangle,rounded triangular or suborbicular in polar view,and fanshaped or nearly elliptic in equatorial view.The three margins of the trilateral spore depress inwards in Huperzia or protrude outwards in Phlegmariurus.The length of polar axis is about 16~26 μm.Spore length of equatorial axis is about 22~36 μm.The spores possess exospores,but no perispore formation.The exospores form profile of fossulate ornamentations,which are factually elliptic or irregular pits,with different size,depth and electronic density.From spore morphology and ornamentation types,it is concluded that the discrepancies between the two genera,Huperzia and Phlegmariurus are evident.However,the discrepancies of ornamentations inner each genus are less distinct.