Distribution, Taxonomy, and Ecology of Charophytes in Iowa Glenn Harry Crum Iowa State University
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Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1975 Distribution, taxonomy, and ecology of charophytes in Iowa Glenn Harry Crum Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Botany Commons Recommended Citation Crum, Glenn Harry, "Distribution, taxonomy, and ecology of charophytes in Iowa " (1975). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 5621. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/5621 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. 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Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 76-9590 CRUM, Glenn Harry, 1939- DISTRIBUTION, TAXONOMY, AND ECOLOGY OF CHAROPKYTES IN IOWA. Joi^lnState University, Ph.D., 1975 Xerox University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48io6 THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED. Distribution, taxonomy, and ecology of charophytes in Iowa by Glenn Harry Crum A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department: Botany and Plant Pathology Major: Botany (Aquatic Plant Biology) Approved: Signature was redacted for privacy. In/Charge of Major Work Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Major Department Signature was redacted for privacy. For th!e Graduate College Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1975 Copyright (c) Glenn Harry Crum, 1976. All rights reserved. ii TABLE OP CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 THE CHARACEAE 3 Key to the Tribes and Genera of the Characeae 3 Morphology of the Characeae 4 Reproduction of the Characeae 8 Dispersal of the Characeae 13 Morphology of the Gfnu.s _Ghara 15 Morphology of the Genus Nitella 21 Morphology of the Genus Tolypella 24 PREVIOUS REPORTS OF CHAROPHYTES IN IOWA 27 THE PROBLHW 33 METHODS AND MATERIALS 36 The Study Area JS KEY TO THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF CHAROPHYTES IN IOWA 40 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS 44 Chara aspera 48 Chara braunii 52 Chara contraria 59 Chara excelsa 6? Chara foliolosa 70 Chara globularis 75 Chara haitensis 83 Chara inconnexa 87 Chara vulgaris 91 iii Page Nitella bastinii 95 Nitella clavata 99 Nitella flexilis 103 Nitella macounii 108 Nitella mucronata 114 Nitella obtusa 117 Nitella opaca 120 Tolypella glomerata 125 Tolypella intricata 129 Tolypella proliféra 134 SUMMARY 137 LITERATURE CITED 1# ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 152 iv LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Some important morphological features of Chara 6 Figure 2. Transverse section of stem showing haplostichous, non-contiguous cortex of Chara 18 Figure 3. Transverse section of stem showing diplostichous cortex of Chara, secondary cells prominent (aulacanthous) 18 Figure 4. Transverse section of stem showing triplostichous cortex of Chara, primary cells prominent (anisostichous) 18 Figure Transverse section of stem showing haplostichous, contiguous cortex of Chara 18 Figure 6. Transverse section of stem showing diplostichous cortex of Chara, primary cells prominent (tylacanthous) 18 Figure 7. Transverse section of stem showing triplostichous cortex of Chara. cells of equal diameter (isostichous) 18 Figure 8. Paradermal section of stem showing haplostichous, contiguous cortex of Chara 18 Figure 9. Paradeimal section of stem showing diplostichous cortex of Chara, primary cells prominent (tylacanthous) 18 Figure 10. Paradermal section of stem showing triplostichous cortex of Chara, cells of equal diameter (isostichous) 18 Figure 11. Some important morphological features of Nitella 22 Figure 12. Some important morphological features of Tolypella 25 Figure 13. The counties of Iowa 47 Figure 14. Distribution of Chara aspera in Iowa 48 V Figure 15. Distribution of Chara braunii in Iowa 52 Figure 16. Distribution of Chara contraria in Iowa 59 Figure 17. Distribution of Chara excelsa in Iowa 67 Figure 18. Distribution of Chara foliolosa in Iowa 70 Figure 19. Distribution of Chara globularis in Iowa 75 Figure 20. Distribution of Chara haitensis in Iowa 83 Figure 21. Distribution of Chara inconnexa in Iowa 87 Figure 22. Distribution of Chara vulgaris in Iowa 91 Figura 23. Distribution of Nitella bastinii in Iowa 95 Figure 24. Distribution of Nitella clavata in Iowa 99 Figure 25. Distribution of Nitella flexilis in Iowa 103 Figure 26. Distribution of Nitella macounii in Iowa 108 Figure 27. Distribution of Nitella mucronata in Iowa 114 Figure 28. Distribution of Nitella obtusa in Iowa 117 Figure 29. Distribution of Nitella opaca in Iowa 120 Figure 30. Distribution of Tolvnella glomerata in Iowa 125 Figure 31. Distribution of Tolyoella intricata in Iowa 129 Figure 32. Distribution of Tolypella -proliféra in Iowa 134 1 INTRODUCTION Charophytes, popularly called stoneworts, brittleworts, muskgrasses, or simply chara, are a group of widely distributed fresh or brackish water algae. They have no known ancestors, nor have they given rise to other living plants (Prescott 1962). Their complex reproductive structures are essentially unique, but their pigmentation is similar to that of green algae. In the pre-Linnaean era, some charophytes were thought to be a kind of submersed Equisetum or Hippuris because of their whorled branchlets and similarity of habit and habitat (Allen 1888a). Vaillant (1721) was first to recognize charo phytes as a "genre" of plants unique in themselves. Their position in the plant kingdom was a point of considerable controversy during the latter part of the 18th and in the 19th century. Linnaeus, in both his artificial and natural systems, placed the genus Chara with the algae, but later, he transfered Chara to the flowering plants in class Monoecia (cited by Pal et al. 1962). Adanson (I763) placed charophytes in his aroid family along with Isoetes. Potamogeton. Ceratophyllum, Mvriophyllum, and others. In I815, Richard (cited by Allen l888a) separated charophytes into a family by themselves, the Characeae, although erroneously placed among vascular cryptogams. Braun (In: Braun and Nordstedt 1882) was responsible, more than any other person for morphological analysis and development of taxonomic 2 concepts within the Characeae. By the 20th century, most authorities agreed charophytes should be considered a distinct order (Pritsch 1935)» or class of green algae (Smith 1950; Prescott 1962; Wood 1965)» or in a division by themselves (Sachs 1875; Allen l888aj Migula 1897; Groves and Bullock- -Webster 1920; Zaneveld 19^0; Olsen 1944; Imahori 195^; Pal et al. 1962; Grambast 197^). Results of numerous investigations of geological deposits strongly suggest ancestral charophytes first appeared near the end of the Silurian (Grambast 1974) or early in the Devonian (Groves and Bullock-Webster 1924; Peck 1953)» During the Devonian and Lower Carboniferous, charophytes were more diverse than now, referable to four families in three orders (Grambast 1974). Because of the lack of intermediate forms, their long separation from the green algae, their morphological complex ity, and elaborate reproductive features, members of the single extant family, the Characeae, seem to warrant treat ment as a separate division. 3 THE CHARACEAE Members of the Characeae are submersed, annual or peren nial, non-vascular plants with an erect green thallus. Three cosmopolitan genera, Chara, Nitella, and Tolypella are widely distributed in Iowa. Lamprothamnium (Daily 196?) and Nitellopsis (Tindall et