Climbing ferns have slender rhizome with roots in the ground, such as Lomariopsis, Teratophyllum, Stenochlaena and Lomagramma.
Epiphytes have compact or short to long-creeping rhizomes that attached to or rooted on the trunks or branches of trees. The stems may start on the tree or on the
ground, but in any cases are attached to the tree and are not depended on the soil for the moisture and nutrients, such as Antrophyum, Aglaomorpha, Drynaria,
Vittaria and Pyrrosia.
Filmy ferns have stout, long-creeping rhizome covered with bristle-like hairs.
The lamina is dissected into deeply lobed with entire to toothed margins. Stipes are winged or unwinged. Sori borne on short laminal segments with a cup or
tubular indusium. Two genera observed such as Hymenophyllum and Trichomanes.
4.1.2 Variation of Rhizome
The stem of a fern is known as rhizome. Based on observed specimens there are many variation of rhizome found Figure 4. The rhizome develops
horizontally beneath the surface of the soil , such as creeping or climbing rhizome.
. Figure 4 Variation of rhizomes: a. Short-creeping, b. Long-creeping,
c. Climbing rhizome, d. Rhizom erect Caudexroot-stock, e. Trunk.
a
e d
d c
b
On the creeping rhizome, fronds are borne on upper surface of the rhizome and the roots are entirely or mainly on the lower surface, such as Gleichenia,
Pteridium, Dicranopteris, Nephrolepis, Oleandra and Lindsaea. The climbing rhizomes were found on some genera such as Lygodium, Teratophyllum,
Lomariopsis, Stenochlaena and Lomagramma. Some ferns have short and compact caudex or stock rhizome, bearing
crowded leaves and usually radial in construction, likes on Blechnum, Diplazium, Marattia, Angiopteris and Thelypteridaceae. Erect rhizome with tuft of leaves at
its apex is called trunk, likes on Cyathea.
4.1.3 Variation of HairScale
The rhizome, bases of the stipes and young parts of the lamina is often covered by scales or hairs. Hairs or scales protected the rhizome by forming
vulnerable parts from physical damage, herbivory, or dessication. The rhizome is normal without increasing in diameter, but in some cases the structure is
reinforced by hairs, fibres, or mats of adventitious roots Winter and Amoroso 2003.
The shape, colour, types of apex and base and marginal of scales or hairs are important characters Orchard AE et al. 1998; Holttum 1966. The hairs consist of
single cell or of a single row of cells with different length and thicknes, such as in Dipteris conjugata and Histiopteris incisa Figure 5.
Figure 5 Variation of hairs: a. unicellular, b. Single row cell. The scales are flat plates of cells consisted of one or more cells, thick. The
majority of collected ferns have scales such as in Aspleniacea, Dryopteridaceae, Lindsaeaceae, Lomariopsidaceae, Oleandraceae and Tectariaceae. Based on
attachment pattern of the scales there are Basifix, pseudopeltate and peltate. Basifix is when the scale attached along the basal margin, pseudopeltate when the
a b
e d
scales attached at the margins but with overlapping auricles such as in Aglaomorpha, Leptochilus and peltate when the scales attached on rhizome at the
surface such as in Pyrrosia, Selliguea and Stenohlaena. The structure of the scales are divided into clathrate or not clathrate. The
clathrate scales is the cells of the scale that form a clear lattice, translucent with thin walls that easily see through such as in Aspleniaceae, Lomagramma and
Antrophyum. The margins of the observed scales are entire, toothed or ciliate. Most of the colour of scales are brown to dark colour Figure 6
Figure 6 Variation of scales: a. Basifix, b. Pseudopeltate, c. Peltate, d. Not clathrate, e. Clathrate.
4.1.4 Variation of Leaves
