Spores and pseudo-elaters of Hornwort captured under foldscope as a part of class practical

Feb 05, 2019 • 4:41 AM UTC

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Kanwar_SD12

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Spores and pseudo-elaters of Hornworts were captured under
foldscope as a part of Botany practical @GGDSD, Chandigarh by 2 nd Semester undergraduates. Foldscope usage is becoming quite popular in routine
classroom practicals.
Bryophytes are categorized into liverworts and mosses. Anthoceros commonly called Hornwort has tapering horn-like sporophyte that lack setae. It grows from a bulbous foot embedded in the thallus. Under dry conditions, the Anthoceros capsule splits exposing the spores and pseudo-elaters.
In Hornworts, pseudo-elaters are tiny, filamentous structures that superficially resemble the spiralled elaters that are a feature of the capsules in many liverwort species. These pseudo-elaters do not spiral in the genera Anthoceros and help in spore release.