Ferns%20of%20the%20Organ%20Mountains

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Ferns of the Organ Mountains
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Outline

• What are ferns?
• -features life cycle special characteristics
  like
• sori and gametophytes desert adaptations
• The Organ Mountains
• -a little geography and geology, and some of the
  
• habitats where youll find ferns.
• Ferns in the Organs
• -some of the common ferns found in the Organ Mts.
  
• and where you might see them.

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1 What are ferns?
Ferns are plants that -have vascular tissue
(unlike mosses and liverworts) -have true
leaves (unlike clubmosses, spikemosses, and
horsetails) -do not have seeds (unlike conifers
and flowering plants) -do not have flowers
(unlike flowering plants) They reproduce via
spores, produced in structures called sori (which
well see in a moment). These spores grow into a
structure called a gametophyte its called that
because it produces gametes (sperm and eggs).
When those gametes join, you get a new sporophyte
(what we call the typical leafy plant that
produced the spores, to distinguish it from the
gametophyte).
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Fern life cycle
haploid (n)
spores
gametophyte
(meiosis)
sori on leaves
sperm
eggs
(fertilization)
sporophyte
diploid (2n)
Lets not worry about diploid vs. haploid much
for the moment. The general idea is that a
sporophyte, what youre used to thinking of as a
fern, makes spores. The spores then grow into a
gametophyte, which makes sperm and eggs. The
sperm and eggs then join to form a new sporophyte.
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Sporophyte
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Sori
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R. Moran
Gametophytes
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Sori why are they important?
Sori have a lot of variability between groups,
and are often very distinctive. So we use them a
lot for identification.
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Gametophytes why are they important?
Ferns are a bit like amphibians.
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Digression frogs...
Adult frogs in desert areas fall into two
categories some, like spadefoot toads (left) can
become dormant in dry periods others, like
leopard frogs (right) need constant water.
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Frogs, continued...
But, whether the frog is a spadefoot or a leopard
frog, its tadpoles need constant water.
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Sporophytes are like adult frogs
Though all fern sporophytes need water for active
growth, like frogs they fall into two categories
those that live in dry microhabitats and become
dormant during dry periods, and those that can
only survive in microhabitats that provide
constant water.
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Gametophytes are like tadpoles
But, whether the sporophyte can survive drying or
not, the gametophyte cant. It needs constant
water to survive and a film of water for
fertilization if it dries, it dies. So for
desert ferns, the gametophyte is often
the limiting step.
R. Moran
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Gametophytes 2

• So how do ferns deal with the limitations of
  drought-
• intolerant gametophytes? Two main ways
• Have the gametophyte around for as short a time
  as
• possible. While ferns from wet areas might have
  their
• gametophytes sitting around for 3 months or
  more,
• desert ferns can go from spore to new sporophyte
  in as little as two weeks!
• 2. Give up on sex! If a fern can skip that pesky
  sperm/egg part, it can get to the sporophyte
  stage more quickly and doesnt need a film of
  water for fertilization.

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2. The Organ Moutains
This is a NASA satellite image
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The Organ Mountains
The figure at right shows a simplified view of
the geology of the Organs. Purple is rhyolite,
a volcanic, greyish rock. Blue is limestone,
a sedimentary rock that forms in oceans. Red is
quartz- monzonite, a kind of granite. Different
rocks, different ferns!
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The Needles granite.
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The best fern habitats in the granite part of the
mountains are rocky, relatively moist slopes with
occasional seeps that have water most of the
year.
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Bishops Cap limestone.
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Bishops Cap has dry, gravelly slopes and
ravines a few ferns can survive on the slopes,
others are limited to sheltered microhabitats.
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La Cueva Dripping Springs rhyolite.
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The rhyolite areas offer steep, narrow canyons.
These provide areas of constant water that some
ferns need and a wide range of good rocky
outcrops and slopes.
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3. Ferns in the Organ Mts.
Aspleniaceae ? Asplenium palmeri
? Asplenium resiliens Asplenium
trichomanes Dennstaedtiaceae Pteridium
aquilinum Dryopteridaceae Cystopteris
reevesiana Dryopteris filix-mas Phanerophlebia
auriculata Woodsia cochisensis Woodsia
neomexicana Woodsia phillipsii Woosdia
plummerae Pteridaceae Adiantum
capillus-veneris Argyrochosma limitanea Astrolep
is cochisensis Astrolepis integerrima
Pteridaceae, cont. Astrolepis
sinuata Astrolepis windhamii Bommeria
hispida Cheilanthes bonariensis Cheilanthes
eatonii Cheilanthes feei Cheilanthes
fendleri Cheilanthes lindheimeri Cheilanthes
tomentosa Cheilanthes villosa Cheilanthes
wootonii Cheilanthes wrightii ?
Cheilanthes yavapensis ? ? Notholaena
grayi ? Notholaena standleyi Pellaea
atropurpurea Pellaea intermedia Pellaea
truncata Pellaea wrightiana
The short version 31 ferns definitely in the
Organs, 3 might be 4 families of ferns in the
Organs, Pteridaceae (brake family) with the most
species.
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Ferns and geology.
Pteridaceae, cont. Astrolepis
sinuata Astrolepis windhamii Bommeria
hispida Cheilanthes bonariensis Cheilanthes
eatonii Cheilanthes feei Cheilanthes
fendleri Cheilanthes lindheimeri Cheilanthes
tomentosa Cheilanthes villosa Cheilanthes
wootonii Cheilanthes wrightii Notholaena
standleyi Pellaea atropurpurea Pellaea
intermedia Pellaea truncata Pellaea wrightiana
Aspleniaceae Asplenium resiliens Asplenium
trichomanes Dennstaedtiaceae Pteridium
aquilinum Dryopteridaceae Cystopteris
reevesiana Dryopteris filix-mas Phanerophlebia
auriculata Woodsia cochisensis Woodsia
neomexicana Woodsia phillipsii Woosdia
plummerae Pteridaceae Adiantum
capillus-veneris Argyrochosma limitanea Astrolep
is cochisensis Astrolepis integerrima
Purple occurs on rhyolite Orange occurs on
rhyolite and granite Blue occurs on limestone
Green occurs on limestone and rhyolite/granite.
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Ferns and geology, cont..
Notice the rhyolite areas have the most ferns,
and seven of them dont occur in other parts no
ferns occur only on granite but a lot occur on
rhyolite and granite four ferns occur only on
limestone.
Aspleniaceae Asplenium resiliens Asplenium
trichomanes Dennstaedtiaceae Pteridium
aquilinum Dryopteridaceae Cystopteris
reevesiana Dryopteris filix-mas Phanerophlebia
auriculata Woodsia cochisensis Woodsia
neomexicana Woodsia phillipsii Woosdia
plummerae Pteridaceae Adiantum
capillus-veneris Argyrochosma limitanea Astrolep
is cochisensis Astrolepis integerrima
Pteridaceae, cont. Astrolepis
sinuata Astrolepis windhamii Bommeria
hispida Cheilanthes bonariensis Cheilanthes
eatonii Cheilanthes feei Cheilanthes
fendleri Cheilanthes lindheimeri Cheilanthes
tomentosa Cheilanthes villosa Cheilanthes
wootonii Cheilanthes wrightii Notholaena
standleyi Pellaea atropurpurea Pellaea
intermedia Pellaea truncata Pellaea wrightiana
Purple occurs on rhyolite Orange occurs on
rhyolite and granite Blue occurs on limestone
Green occurs on limestone and rhyolite/granite.
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Fern families
So, I told you sori are useful in identification,
and heres the proof... well look at the three
families youre likely to see in the Organ Mts.
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Aspleniaceae (spleenwort family)
In this family, the sori are oval or linear,
with a flap (called the indusium) along one
side. These ferns require nearly constant
moisture.
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Dryopteridaceae (shield fern family)
In this family, the sori are round, with that
flap (indusium), forming a shield or cup-like
structure. These ferns also require nearly
constant moisture.
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Pteridaceae (brake family)
In this family, the sori form lines along the
edges of the leaflets, protected by the edge of
the leaf or unprotected. These are the
true arid-dwelling ferns, living in the
driest habitats.
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Pteridaceae, cont.
Aspleniaceae Asplenium resiliens Asplenium
trichomanes Dennstaedtiaceae Pteridium
aquilinum Dryopteridaceae Cystopteris
reevesiana Dryopteris filix-mas Phanerophlebia
auriculata Woodsia cochisensis Woodsia
neomexicana Woodsia phillipsii Woosdia
plummerae Pteridaceae Adiantum
capillus-veneris Argyrochosma limitanea Astrolep
is cochisensis Astrolepis integerrima
Pteridaceae, cont. Astrolepis
sinuata Astrolepis windhamii Bommeria
hispida Cheilanthes bonariensis Cheilanthes
eatonii Cheilanthes feei Cheilanthes
fendleri Cheilanthes lindheimeri Cheilanthes
tomentosa Cheilanthes villosa Cheilanthes
wootonii Cheilanthes wrightii Notholaena
standleyi Pellaea atropurpurea Pellaea
intermedia Pellaea truncata Pellaea wrightiana
Just a reminder most ferns in the Organ Mts.
are in Pteridaceae no surprise given that its
the most drought-tolerant of the families.
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So, now Ill go through the three major parts of
the Organs and show you some ferns youd see
there. Lets start with Bishops Cap (A Mt. is
similar).
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Astrolepis cochisensis (Cochise cloak fern) most
common fern on dry limestone.
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Astrolepis cochisensis (Cochise cloak fern) most
common fern on dry limestone.
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Astrolepis integerrima (hybrid cloak fern) also
on dry limestone
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Cheilanthes feei (Fees lip fern) under
overhangs, locally moist limestone.
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Cheilanthes feei (Fees lip fern) under
overhangs, locally moist limestone.
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In the granite portion of the mountains, you can
see a number of ferns at Aguirre Spring
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Cheilanthes fendleri (Fendlers lip fern) common
in cracks in granite
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Cheilanthes fendleri (Fendlers lip fern) common
in cracks in granite
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Cheilanthes fendleri (Fendlers lip fern) common
in cracks in granite
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Cheilanthes eatonii (Eatons lip fern)
usually under or between granite boulders
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Cheilanthes eatonii (Eatons lip fern) usually
under or between granite boulders
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Pellaea truncata (spiny cliff-brake)
amid granite boulders, lower elevations
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Woodsia neomexicana (New Mexican cliff fern) in
moist soil or under granite boulders
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Woodsia phillipsii (Phillips cliff fern) in
moist soil or under granite boulders
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And, last, lets consider some of the ferns youd
near at Dripping Springs well see many of
these on the next field trip!
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Some will be the same as what wed see at
Aguirre, but others wont.
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Notholaena standleyi (star cloak fern) in
cracks in exposed rhyolite
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Cheilanthes bonariensis (golden lipfern) occurs
in moist soil near pools and seeps
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Cheilanthes bonariensis (golden lipfern) occurs
in moist soil near pools and seeps
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Pellaea atropurpurea (purple cliffbrake) occurs
in rocky soil under oaks
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Pellaea atropurpurea (purple cliffbrake) occurs
in rocky soil under oaks
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Pellaea wrightiana (Wrights cliff-brake) found
in cracks in exposed rhyolite among boulders
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Pellaea wrightiana (Wrights cliff-brake) found
in cracks in exposed rhyolite among boulders
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Astrolepis sinuata (wavy cloakfern) occurs in
rocky soil on moist slopes
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Phanerophlebia auriculata (eared veinfern)
occurs under boulders in the moist bottoms of
steep canyons
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Asplenium resiliens (maidenhair spleenwort)
occurs on moist rock in seeps
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Asplenium trichomanes (maidenhair spleenwort)
occurs on moist rock in seeps
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Asplenium trichomanes (maidenhair spleenwort)
occurs on moist rock in seeps
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Shameless self-promotion
Want to see more pictures of ferns and other
local plants? Well, I have a website www.polypl
oid.net or www.newmexicoflora.com
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