Viability of spores of <I>Dicksonia sellowiana</I> Hook. (Cyatheales, Dicksoniaceae) and <I>Rumohra adiantiformis</I> (Forst.) Ching (Polypodiales, Dryopteridaceae) stored under refrigeration<p>

Abstract

In this work the viability of spores of D. sellowiana and R. adiantiformis stored under refrigeration was studied. The spores were removed and separated from debris by filtering through lens paper and stored in glass jars under refrigeration at 7 ± 1 ºC. Superficially sterilized spores were sown in bottles containing 20 mL of mineral medium as proposed by Mohr, modified by Dyer and supplemented with Benomyl (25 mg.L-1). The germination was conduct in growth room, at 25 ± 2 oC (30mmol m-2s-1) and a 16 h-photoperiod. Spores of D. sellowiana remained viable during 4.5 years, but spores stored during 6.0 years lost viability. Spores of Rumohra adiantiformis remained viable during 6.0 years of storage. Both of them produced gametophytes after spore germination. Gametophytes of D. sellowiana in the beginning of the heartshape were observed after 3 months of culture, and some gametophytes of Rumohra adiantiformis were in the adult phase and presented sporophyte with the expansion of the first leaf. After 10 months of culture, 32.8% of the gametophytes of Rumohra adiantiformis formed sporophytes and after 12 months, these sporophytes presented 4.3 leaves. The results indicate that spores of D. sellowiana and R. adiantiformis can be dry stored, in banks of germplasm under refrigeration, remaining viable for several years.