Specific Families and Genera > Ferns

Asplenium scolopendrium: spore seedlings

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Véronique Macrelle:
I picked a leaf with sori, left it a week in an envelope to dry: the spores fell in the envelope, then I sowed on hot potting soil: prothalles germinate in 2 weeks, but grow very slowly.
 currently the prothalles are 3 months old and the blades are 5 mm wide.

Véronique Macrelle:
that's it, there was fertilization! baby ferns are starting to develop.

I send a mist of water a few times to wet the surfaces of the prothalles. (male gametes swim in water)

and a first little fern leaf appears! top right, it is 5 mm wide and 1 cm high.

on the magnification we see:
a crater, no doubt, the place of fertilization.
we can clearly see 3 fern shoots around.

Anders:
Hi Veronique

Great and inspiring fotos. Picked a few leaves of A. rute-muraria and A. trichomanes this morning to try to germinate the spores.

Anders

Véronique Macrelle:
thank you Anders

this is how i installed the fern spores

Carolyn:
Anders,

I am not a fern expert, but I have grown a few ferns from spores. I think you will find that the spores are ripe in late summer - do correct me if I am wrong! Here are some photos of my attempts from early last September.

1.  Adiantum pedatum has made a good potful. I will let these get slightly bigger and then pot them up. They have spent the winter enclosed in a plastic bag on a shady windowsill.
2.  Sphenomeris chinensis BSWJ6108 - I am hopeful that this is what is growing. It always starts by looking like an unpromising mass of liverwort! Sown 8th Sept 2019
3.  Athyrium vidallii, sown 29th Aug 2019

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