International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 4, April 2012 1 ISSN 2250-3153 Cystopteris fragilis f. kashmiriensis Bhellum and Razdan-A new forma from India B. L. Bhellum and Bharti Razdan Department of Botany Govt. Degree College, Kathua-184101, J & K, India Abstract- The present paper put on record Cystopteris Glycerine: 20 cc. kashmiriensis Bhellum and Razdan a new forma from Jammu Distilled water: 50 cc. and Kashmir State, collected from the different elevations Gum acacia: 30 gm between 1600 m and 2700 m. It is compared with the The above mentioned contents were stirred well and mixed at morphologically similar Cystopteris fragilis f. fragilis Bir and room temperature to form the mountant. Camera lucida drawings Trikha and differs from it being large in height, pinnules with were sketched at table height under 9x X 2x magnifications. The acute apex and deeply toothed, spores large and scaly, spore description is based on acetolysed (Erdtman, 1952) appendiculate with 1-2 pairs of basal appendages. The drawings preparations. Microphotographs of spores were taken under 10x were sketched by use of camera lucida and micrographs of the X 45x magnification. For the study of meiotic chromosomes, spores were taken under 10 x X 40 x magnification. fronds with developing sporangia were fixed in cornoy’s fluid (absolute alcohol, glacial acetic acid and chloroform in the Index Terms- A new forma of Cystopteris frigilis from proportion of 1: 1: 1) for 24 hours, then thoroughly washed and Kashmir, India preserved in 70% of ethyl alcohol. Preserved sporangia were squashed in acetocarmine. Micrographs were taken under 7x X I. INTRODUCTION oil magnification. Explanatory diagrams are also given for ystopteris generally known as bladder fern or fragile fern cytological figures. C grows in the rocky areas or stony and gravelly soil. A. Cystopteris fragilis f. kashmiriensis Bhellum & Razdan Cystopteris has about 10 species distributed all the world over Root-stock erect, numerous, thread-like; young parts covered (Lovis 1977) and belongs to family Cystopteridaceae (Maarten et with scales (Figure 1); Scales ovate, lanceolate, apex acute not al. 2011). The taxonomic revision of the genus has been studied ending in a glandular cell yellowish brown. Cells are tetra to by Blasdell (1963). Cystopteris is widely distributed in America, hexagonal in shape (Figure 2). Fronds arising in tuft, 15- 22 cm Africa and neighbouring Islands of Eurosia. It also occurs in long, soft, delicate. Stalk 3- 7 cm long, dark brown, rachis green. Southern Australia, Tumania, New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands as Blade bipinnate, 3- 5 cm wide in the middle, tapering towards well as the central Islands of Kerqueen and South Georgia. In the apex, green. Pinnules oblong, rhomboidal, apes acute, lobes flora of Jammu and Kashmir, only three species are reported pointed, deeply toothed. Sori in clusters on the ventral side of namely Cystopteris dickiean, C. fragilis and C. montana. There pinnules, brown when fully mature. Spores monolete, bilateral, has been a considerable debate on the taxonomic status of this convex in the lateral view and oblong, in polar view, size 49.09 x genus complexity particularly based on the characters of fronds 30.9 μm., laesura 22. 1 μm., long, surface densely spinulose and surface sculpturing of the spores (Parks et al., 2000). Similar (Figure 6). studies have been carried out on spore morphology in different Specimens examined: The species is distributed in Kashmir genera (Murtza, et. al. 2004; Faridah-Hanum et al. 2008; Devi & Himalayas from 1600 to 3000 m. Singh 2011). In the present communication only two forma such B. Cystopteris fragilis f. kashmiriensis Bhellum & Razdan as Cystopteris fragilis f. fragilis (L.) Bernh. and Cytoperis f. nov. fragilis f. kashmiriensis has been studied from the different The new forma differet in plantae majors 15- 22 cm longae populations of the region and on the basis of diverse viridi stipula lactentia. Pinnules apice acutis, lobis acuminates et morphological characters a new forma is reported. denticulatis profunde, spores etiam majora, laesura 22.1 μm longa. Summus appendages appendiculate Libra cum pars librae est flavescens et furva caligine fusca flavescens munitae sint tenues atque muratis whileas ceteris cellulis (Figure 4) uriusque II. MATERIALS AND METHODS formae. The specimens were collected from the different altitudinal This forma has been collected from Gulmarg, growing in rock zones of Botanical Garden, University of Kashmir (1600 m), crevices generally near water. It differs from the Cystopteris Gumri (3000 m), and Gulmarg (2700 m) of Kashmir Himalayas. fragilis f. fragilis in the following characters. For the study of scales, the parts bearing scales were kept in luke i. Plants larger 15- 22 cm long, stalk green. warm water for about 2 to 3 hours, then scales were gently ii. Pinnules acute, lobes pointed and deeply toothed. removed with the help of forceps and mounted in Hoyer’s iii. Spores larger 49.9 x 30.9 μm. with 22.1 lo μm long medium (Anderson 1954) which had the following contents: laesura. Chloral hydrate: 200 gm iv. Scales appediculate with 1- 2 pairs of basal appendages. www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 4, April 2012 2 ISSN 2250-3153 Upper half of the scale is yellowish brown and thick walled (Figure 4) whileas rest of the cells are yellowish brown and thin walled Table 1: Differences between Cystopteris fragilis f. fragilis and C. fragilis f. kashmiriensis S. No. Cystopteris fragilis f fragilisBir & Cystopteris fragilis f. kashmiriensis Bhellum & Trikha (Figure 2) Razdan(Figure 1) 1 Plants 11 to 17 cm long Plants 15- 22 cm long 2 Pinnules obtuse at the apex, the lobes Pinnules acute at the apex, lobes pointed and blunt and shallowly toothed deeply toothed. 3 Scales ovate, lanceolate with acute Scales with 1-2 pairs of basal appendages, apex apex, ending in a glandular cell (Figure without a glandular cell (Figure 4). 3). 4 Spore size 42.2 x 26.3 μm. with 21.6 Spore size 49.9 x 30.9 μm. long with 22.1 μm. μm. long lasura (Figure 3) long lasura (Figure 4) The acetocarmine squash preparations of Cystopteris fragilis f . fragilis and C. fragilis f. kashmiriensis revealed normal course of meiosis with chromosome number n= 84 (Figure 5). The species is a tetraploid sexual. III. ETYMOLOGY The forma is named after the region Kashmir from where the specimens were collected. traploid sexual. IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Faridah et al. (2008) focused his attention on morphology of spore and anatomical characteristics in addition to other features. Vida (1974) has undertaken a detailed cytological analysis of C. fragilis complex in Europe where possibility of somatic polyploidization is reported. During the spore study of Cystopteris, Blasdell (1963) has observed that with the increase in ploidy level of a species there is also an increase in the spore size and has further pointed that the average spore size of a plant within the genus can indicate its ploidy level with accuracy. From the present observations also both the forma studied are tetrapoids but show variations in spore size. So it is evident that Figure 1: Cystopteris fragilis f. kashmiriensis different ploidy levels of a genus can not be the reason for difference in the spore size but a species with same chromosome number growing in two different habitats can also exhibit difference in the spore size. In dermal appendages of Cystopteris the apical cell may or may not be glandular. This character is useful in distinguishing different species of the genus. In fact, Indian species of Cystopteris can be distinguished on the basis of shape, colour and margin of the rhizome scale. Scales of C. fragilis are ovate, lanceolate, yellowish brown with acuminate apex ending in a glandular cell, margin entire as also reported presently for C. fragilis f. fragilis but the dermal appendages of C. himalayensis studied during present investigation revealed certain differences to these characters. These are appendiculate with 1-2 pairs of basal appendages and upper half of the scale is yellowish brown with thick walled cells while as rest of the cells are yellowish and thin walled, apex without a glandular cell. www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 4, April 2012 3 ISSN 2250-3153 Figure 2: Cystopteris fragilis f. fragillis Figure 4: Cystopteris fragilis f. kashmiriensis Figure 5: Chromosome number Figure 3: Cystopteris fragilis f fragilis Figure 6: Spore of Cystopteris fragilis f. kashmiriensis www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 4, April 2012 4 ISSN 2250-3153 Type: India, Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir (KASH. 14483). The [6] Lovis, J. D. 1977. Evolutionary pattern and processes in ferns. Adv. Bot. specimens were collected from Kashmir. Res. 4: 229. 415. [7] Maarten, J. M., Xian-Chun Zhang and Harald Schneider 2011. A linear sequence of extant families and genera of lycophytes and ferns. Phytotaxa ACKNOWLEDGMENT 19: 7- 54. The Senior author (BR) is grateful to Prof. S. S. Bir for [8] Parks, J. C., Dyer, A. F. and Lindsay, S. 2000. Allozyme, spores and frond variation in some Scottish populations of ferns Cystopteris dickieana and valuable suggestions. Cystopteris frigilis. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 57: 83- 105. REFERENCES [1] Blasdell, 1963. A monographic study of the fern genus Cystopteris. Mem. AUTHORS Torrey Bot. Club 24: 1-102. [2] Devi, Y. S. and Singh, P. K. 2011. Additional notes on spore morphology of First Author – B. L. Bhellum, Ph. D., Govt. Degree College, two Huperzia (Lycopodiaceae) species and systematic significance. Kathua, J & K, India, E-mail id- [email protected] Research Journal of Botany 6(2): 78- 86. [3] Erdtman, G. 1952. Pollen morphology and Plant Taxonomy.