''Lomariopsis lineata'' is a species of fern native to
South East Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
.
The
prothallia of this species (or possibly a closely related species) are commonly cultivated as an
aquarium
An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...
plant, where it is known to
aquarist
An aquarist is a person who manages aquariums, either professionally or as a hobby. They typically care for aquatic animals, including fish and marine invertebrates. Some may care for aquatic mammals. Aquarists often work at public aquariums. They ...
s as süsswassertang (
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
spelling: ).
[ It is often incorrectly spelled "subwassertang" due to the German eszett's similarity to the Latin 'B'. It is also called Loma fern or round pellia.]
Description
Adult leaves are pinnate and up to 1 meter in length. It is found in humid forests up to 1,200 meters above sea level.epiphytic
An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...
on trees or among rocks in dry river beds.Flora of China
The flora of China consists of a diverse range of plant species including over 39,000 vascular plants, 27,000 species of fungi and 3000 species of bryophytes.Wu, Z. Y., P. H. Raven & D. Y. Hong, eds. 2006. Flora of China. Vol. 22 (Poaceae). Sci ...
'' separates a Chinese form as ''L. cochinchinensis'', but this plant is otherwise considered a synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...
of ''L. lineata''.[ The species may grow to be 3 meters in length. In ]Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, ''L. lineata'' is considered critically endangered in the wild.
Süsswassertang
Süsswassertang is used as a decorative aquarium plant.name
A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A person ...
süsswassertang means "freshwater seaweed" in German. It was long considered to be a liverwort
Liverworts are a group of non-vascular land plants forming the division Marchantiophyta (). They may also be referred to as hepatics. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry ...
, which it strongly resembles.[ In the aquarium industry, it is commonly confused with similar-looking ]liverwort
Liverworts are a group of non-vascular land plants forming the division Marchantiophyta (). They may also be referred to as hepatics. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry ...
s of the genera '' Pellia'' and '' Monosolenium''.
In 2009, a molecular phylogenetic
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
study
Study or studies may refer to:
General
* Education
**Higher education
* Clinical trial
* Experiment
* Field of study
* Observational study
* Scientific study
* Research
* Study skills, abilities and approaches applied to learning
Other
* Study ...
determined that it is, in fact, a fern
The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...
gametophyte
A gametophyte () is one of the two alternating multicellular phases in the life cycles of plants and algae. It is a haploid multicellular organism that develops from a haploid spore that has one set of chromosomes. The gametophyte is the se ...
. It was found to be most closely genetically linked to ''Lomariopsis lineata'', though classification as a distinct species was not ruled out.sporophyte
A sporophyte () is one of the two alternation of generations, alternating multicellular organism, multicellular phases in the biological life cycle, life cycles of plants and algae. It is a diploid multicellular organism which produces asexual Spo ...
have failed, which may indicate status
Status (Latin plural: ''statūs''), is a state, condition, or situation, and may refer to:
* Status (law)
** Legal status, in law
** Political status, in international law
** Small entity status, in patent law
** Status conference
** Status c ...
as a new species.cf.
The abbreviation cf. (short for either Latin or , both meaning 'compare') is generally used in writing to refer the reader to other material to make a comparison with the topic being discussed. However some sources offer differing or even contr ...
''lineata''.
Characteristics
In captivity, reproduction
Reproduction (or procreation or breeding) is the biological process by which new individual organisms – "offspring" – are produced from their "parent" or parents. There are two forms of reproduction: Asexual reproduction, asexual and Sexual ...
is by fragmentation. Pieces that break off develop into new plants.
The plant is thalloid in form
Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens.
Form may also refer to:
*Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter dat ...
, and exhibits indeterminate growth
In biology and botany, indeterminate growth is growth that is not terminated, in contrast to determinate growth that stops once a genetically predetermined structure has completely formed. Thus, a plant that grows and produces flowers and fruit ...
. It is profusely branched, and 1 cell
Cell most often refers to:
* Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life
* Cellphone, a phone connected to a cellular network
* Clandestine cell, a penetration-resistant form of a secret or outlawed organization
* Electrochemical cell, a de ...
-layer thick. Gametangia
A gametangium (: gametangia) is a sex organ or cell in which gametes are produced that is found in many multicellular protist
A protist ( ) or protoctist is any eukaryotic organism that is not an animal, land plant, or fungus. Protists ...
are rarely produced. The archegonia
An archegonium (: archegonia), from the Ancient Greek ''ἀρχή'' ("beginning") and ''γόνος'' ("offspring"), is a multicellular structure or organ of the gametophyte phase of certain plants, producing and containing the ovum or female gamet ...
have short necks and the venter (base) is partly sunk into the thallus. The antheridia are like those of polypodialean ferns in that they consist of a basal cell, a ring cell, and a cap cell.neurotoxin
Neurotoxins are toxins that are destructive to nervous tissue, nerve tissue (causing neurotoxicity). Neurotoxins are an extensive class of exogenous chemical neurological insult (medical), insultsSpencer 2000 that can adversely affect function ...
BMAA from contaminated waters.
See also
* '' Vittaria appalachiana''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15320369
Polypodiales
Freshwater plants