Pteris platyzomopsis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pteris platyzomopsis |
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Platyzoma microphyllum R.Br. |
The Pteris platyzomopsis, also known as the braid fern, is a type of fern. It belongs to the plant family Pteridaceae. This fern used to be known by another name, Platyzoma microphyllum. For a while, it was the only species in its own group, Platyzoma, and sometimes even in its own family, Platyzomaceae.
You can find the braid fern growing in northern Australia. It lives in the Kimberley area of Western Australia, in the Northern Territory, and in Queensland. It also grows in northern New South Wales, where it is considered an endangered plant.
How the Braid Fern Reproduces
The braid fern is quite special among ferns because of how it reproduces. It shows something called incipient heterospory. This means it produces two slightly different kinds of spores.
It makes tiny spores, called microspores, which are about 71 to 101 micrometers wide. It also makes slightly larger spores, called megaspores, which are about 163 to 183 micrometers wide.
These spores grow into tiny plant parts called gametophytes. The small microspores grow into gametophytes that only produce male parts. The larger megaspores grow into gametophytes that produce female parts. Sometimes, the female gametophytes can also produce male parts later on. This unique way of making different spore sizes and gametophytes is how the braid fern creates new plants.
How the Braid Fern Got Its Name
The Pteris platyzomopsis has had a few different names over time. Its older name was Platyzoma microphyllum. For a while, the group Platyzoma was even thought to be its own family, Platyzomataceae.
Scientists have studied this fern closely. They noticed its unusual way of making spores and its unique number of chromosomes (2n=78). Some thought it might be a link between regular ferns and special water ferns that make very different kinds of spores.
In 1827, a scientist named Nicaise Auguste Desvaux added other fern species to the Platyzoma group. However, most scientists today believe those other ferns, like the Alpine coral-fern and Pouched coral fern, belong to a different group called Gleichenia.
More recently, in 2011, scientists like Christenhusz decided that Platyzoma should be part of the larger Pteris group. They changed the fern's name to Pteris platyzomopsis. This was because the name Pteris microphylla was already being used for another plant. This new name is now accepted by many plant checklists around the world.
