The microspore morphology of some species of Selaginella (Selaginellaceae) from India

Abstract

The microspore morphology of 10 Indian species of Selaginella based on colour, laesura length, ornamentation and size was investigated using both light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microspore ornamentation of some species and tetrad formation in mature microsporangia of S. ganguliana have been described for the first time. In addition, intraspecific variations in ornamentation patterns of microspores have been reported using SEM. These observations will be helpful in morphotaxonomy for accurate identification and cataloguing the basic data of selaginellaceous microspores, as well as systematics of the genus.

Keywords:

• Selaginella
• microspore
• morphology
• India

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the heads of the departments of botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, for providing the necessary facilities, and to the director of Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, for providing access to the SEM facility. The authors are thankful to Prof. D.K. Chauhan, Department of Botany, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, UP, India, for providing suggestions and support. The authors express their most sincere thanks to the anonymous reviewers for their critical remarks and suggestions, which were helpful in the improvement of the paper. The first author wishes to express his gratitude to the University Grant Commission for providing D.S. Kothari postdoctoral fellowship.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sarvesh Kumar Singh

SARVESH KUMAR SINGH is currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He focuses on organ-based classical taxonomy, biochemistry and molecular studies on the ligulate heterosporous lycopsids. Sarvesh has a BSc in biology (2002), an MSc in botany (2004) from CSJM University Kanpur and a DPhil in botany (2013) from the University of Allahabad, Allahabad, India. He worked at CMP College, Allahabad, before becoming a postdoctoral fellow. Sarvesh has received the Certificate of Merit from the Indian Fern Society for outstanding research in pteridophytes. He has published eight research papers in international peer-reviewed journals.

Nawal Kishor Dubey

NAWAL KISHOR DUBEY specialises in bioprospection, herbal medicine and microbiology. He gained his BSc in biology in 1975, an MSc in botany in 1977 and a PhD in botany in 1981, all from Deen Dayal Upadhyay University, Gorakhpur, India. Nawal Kishor holds four patents, and has published six books and over 200 research papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals. Currently he is working as a Professor at the Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India where he is researching various aspects of plant biology.

Gopal Krishna Srivastava

GOPAL KRISHNA SRIVASTAVA specialises in lower Gondwana megaspores, cytogenetics, palaeobotany, pteridophytes and has published over 75 papers in national and international journals. He gained his BSc in biology (1956), an MSc in botany (1958) and a DPhil in Botany (1962) from the University of Allahabad, Allahabad, India. Currently he is retired from the position of Professor and Head from Department of Botany, University of Allahabad, India and is working on various aspects of the pteridophytes.