Application of spore morphology to solve identification problems in certain species of family Dryopteridaceae from Malakand Division, Pakistan

Abstract

Here we investigate the morphology of the spores of 12 native taxa of Dryopteridaceae that grow in Malakand division, Pakistan; most of these species not fully described before. This study intends to survey the taxonomic significance of spore morphological features and their variation useful for species identification in 7 species of Polystichum and 5 taxa of Dryopteris. The spores examinations were accomplished utilizing a light microscope (LM), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The spores are monolete, medium-sized, with variable shapes in both equatorial and polar views.The mean estimation of equatorial diameter ranging from 28.3 to 58.3 μm and the polar diameter varied from 27.6 to 45.8 μm. The exospore thickness ranges between 1.6 to 3.8 μm, and the thickness of perispore is 0.8-6.7 μm. The perispore is perforated, ornamentation elements occur in different ways in the studied taxa of Polystichum. In investigated Dryopteris taxa, rugate perispore type is found. Results of multivariate statistical analysis (UPGMA, and PCA) established on quantitative and qualitative morphological traits of spores demonstrate that the species form distinct groups, not reflecting any phylogenetic relationships. A key to the spores types is provided for species identification, which dependent on the diagnostic characters of spores. The results of this study indicate that variation of spore morphological traits; in particular, the ornamentation and perispore characteristics, which is surface texture, have diagnostic value at the species level. Our data will help in the identification of spores of the family Dryopteridaceae in palynological and taxonomic studies.

Ethnomedicinal uses of the Ferns of Shishikoh Valley, District Chitral, Pakistan

“…Many workers contributed from Pakistan chiefly focused on Azad Jammu and Kashmir and different districts of Hazara and Malakand division (37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48). Similar study of 66 Pteridophytes taxa belonged to 26 genera and 16 families with their traditional uses were reported from district Mansehra, Pakistan (49), another researcher (50) documented 25 Pteridophytes taxa belonged to 13 genera and 8 families from Maidan valley, district Lower Dir, Pakistan.…”

Assessment of floristic diversity in the mountain ecosystem of Marghazar Valley, Hindukush Range, Swat, Pakistan

“…Specimens (flowering plants) were identified with the help of native flora (flora of Pakistan) and other available literature Nasir 1989-1991;Nasir 1991-1993;Ali and Qaiser 1986;Qaiser 1993-2017;Qaiser 2000-2012;Ali 1978;Ali 1980;Ali et al 2001;Cronquist 1968;Nasir 1981;Stewart 1967;Stewart 1972), grasses identified with the manual of (Cope 1982;Ahmad et al 1958). Fern and their allies (Pteridophytes) was identified from (Gul et al 2017;Lellinger 2002;Nakaike and Malik 1992;Nakaike and Malik 1993;Nayar 1964;Stewart 1957), flora of China (Zhang et al 2013) and other available literature (Beddome 1866;Beddome 1873;Clarke 1973;Fraser-Jenkins 2014;Hope 1899Hope -1902Shah et al 2020Shah et al , 2021. Plant samples were also confirmed from snapshots existing on the international herbaria website.…”

Pollen morphology of selected melliferous plants and its taxonomic implications using microscopy

“…The pollen surface has been greatly enhanced attributable to scanning electron microscopy (Akhtar et al, 2021; Aziz et al, 2022; Niazi et al, 2021; Rahman et al, 2019; Rozina Ahmad, Khan, et al, 2021; Rozina Ahmad, Zafar, et al, 2021). Scanning microscopy pollen research is also utilized to generate new terminology for defining pollen ornamentation, a statistical approach to pollen sculpturing, and even data analysis of the exine (Ijaz et al, 2022; Kanwal et al, 2022; Rashid, Ahmad, et al, 2019; Rashid, Zafar, et al, 2019; Hussain et al, 2021; Shah et al, 2021; Shahzad et al, 2021; Waheed et al, 2021; Yousaf et al, 2021).…”