Ferns of Colombia
Conference Year
2023
Abstract
Called the resurrection ferns for their ability to desiccate and then rehydrate, Pleopeltis is the largest genus in the family Polypodiaceae with 95 species and 9 named hybrids. Several adaptive traits facilitate resurrection in Pleopeltis, most notably the water-absorptive peltate laminar scales. These peltate-shaped scales have a disk of several empty dead cells subtended by a stalk of a single row of four to eight living cells which connects to the mesophyll. When the leaf is wetted, capillary action moves water under the dead cells of the disk allowing it to funnel into the living cells of the stalk, and finally into the mesophyll. No other group of ferns has evolved water-absorptive scales but morphologically and functionally similar scales are known from the Tillandsioideae subfamily of Bromeliaceae. In both groups, the scales are thought to be a key innovation allowing the plants to radiate into novel niches. Observation of these species in the field throughout Latin America show that absorptive peltate laminar scales are widespread throughout the genus; however, there is demonstrated variability in scale size, density, color and shape. Observations from field work suggest that this variation mirrors ecological factors, with species occurring in the wettest environments having the fewest scales, and species occurring in more seasonally dry forests the most. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we investigated the relationship between water-absorptive peltate laminar scales and ecological niche, and we estimated how historical ecological niche influenced the evolution of traits in this clade and vice versa.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Michael Sundue
Status
Graduate
Student College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Second Student College
Graduate College
Program/Major
Plant Biology
Primary Research Category
Life Sciences
Ferns of Colombia
Called the resurrection ferns for their ability to desiccate and then rehydrate, Pleopeltis is the largest genus in the family Polypodiaceae with 95 species and 9 named hybrids. Several adaptive traits facilitate resurrection in Pleopeltis, most notably the water-absorptive peltate laminar scales. These peltate-shaped scales have a disk of several empty dead cells subtended by a stalk of a single row of four to eight living cells which connects to the mesophyll. When the leaf is wetted, capillary action moves water under the dead cells of the disk allowing it to funnel into the living cells of the stalk, and finally into the mesophyll. No other group of ferns has evolved water-absorptive scales but morphologically and functionally similar scales are known from the Tillandsioideae subfamily of Bromeliaceae. In both groups, the scales are thought to be a key innovation allowing the plants to radiate into novel niches. Observation of these species in the field throughout Latin America show that absorptive peltate laminar scales are widespread throughout the genus; however, there is demonstrated variability in scale size, density, color and shape. Observations from field work suggest that this variation mirrors ecological factors, with species occurring in the wettest environments having the fewest scales, and species occurring in more seasonally dry forests the most. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we investigated the relationship between water-absorptive peltate laminar scales and ecological niche, and we estimated how historical ecological niche influenced the evolution of traits in this clade and vice versa.