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Mohria caffrorum (L.) Desv. : a new, unique model organism for the study of desiccation tolerance

Vegetative desiccation tolerance is the ability of a plant to dry to equilibrium with its surrounding atmosphere and remain in this dry state for prolonged periods of time. Upon rehydration, these plants are able to regain full physiological functionality. Vegetative desiccation tolerance is common...

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Main Author: Wiswedel, Stefan
Other Authors: Farrant, Jill M
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Biological Sciences 2017
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access_status_str Open Access
author Wiswedel, Stefan
author2 Farrant, Jill M
author_browse Farrant, Jill M
Wiswedel, Stefan
author_facet Farrant, Jill M
Wiswedel, Stefan
author_sort Wiswedel, Stefan
collection Thesis
description Vegetative desiccation tolerance is the ability of a plant to dry to equilibrium with its surrounding atmosphere and remain in this dry state for prolonged periods of time. Upon rehydration, these plants are able to regain full physiological functionality. Vegetative desiccation tolerance is common and partially understood in the less complex clades including the algae, bryophytes and lichens but is uncommon in the vascular land plants. Vegetative desiccation tolerance is partially understood in the angiosperms but there has been little work on desiccation tolerance in pteridophytes Mohria caffrorum (L.) Desv is one such desiccation tolerant pteridophyte This fern has the unique characteristic of having both desiccation tolerant and desiccation sensitive forms, which alternate seasonally, which this study is the first to show. We show here that; 1) M caffrorum is indeed a desiccation tolerant fern. 2) M. caffrorum has desiccation tolerant and desiccation sensitive frond types. which are morphologically distinct. 3) These morphological differences are directly related to the ability to survive desiccation as well as playing a role in tine ecologies of the two growth forms. 4) The spores of M. caffrorum are also desiccation tolerant. A hypothesis is proposed detailing why M. caffrorum is able to change between being desiccation tolerant and desiccation sensitive.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
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license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2017
publishDateRange 2017
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publisher Department of Biological Sciences
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/23926 Mohria caffrorum (L.) Desv. : a new, unique model organism for the study of desiccation tolerance Wiswedel, Stefan Farrant, Jill M Botany Vegetative desiccation tolerance is the ability of a plant to dry to equilibrium with its surrounding atmosphere and remain in this dry state for prolonged periods of time. Upon rehydration, these plants are able to regain full physiological functionality. Vegetative desiccation tolerance is common and partially understood in the less complex clades including the algae, bryophytes and lichens but is uncommon in the vascular land plants. Vegetative desiccation tolerance is partially understood in the angiosperms but there has been little work on desiccation tolerance in pteridophytes Mohria caffrorum (L.) Desv is one such desiccation tolerant pteridophyte This fern has the unique characteristic of having both desiccation tolerant and desiccation sensitive forms, which alternate seasonally, which this study is the first to show. We show here that; 1) M caffrorum is indeed a desiccation tolerant fern. 2) M. caffrorum has desiccation tolerant and desiccation sensitive frond types. which are morphologically distinct. 3) These morphological differences are directly related to the ability to survive desiccation as well as playing a role in tine ecologies of the two growth forms. 4) The spores of M. caffrorum are also desiccation tolerant. A hypothesis is proposed detailing why M. caffrorum is able to change between being desiccation tolerant and desiccation sensitive. 2017-02-14T08:05:09Z 2017-02-14T08:05:09Z 2006 2017-02-13T13:53:22Z Bachelor Thesis Honours BSc (Hons) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/23926 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Botany
Wiswedel, Stefan
Mohria caffrorum (L.) Desv. : a new, unique model organism for the study of desiccation tolerance
thesis_degree_str Bachelor's / Honours
title Mohria caffrorum (L.) Desv. : a new, unique model organism for the study of desiccation tolerance
title_full Mohria caffrorum (L.) Desv. : a new, unique model organism for the study of desiccation tolerance
title_fullStr Mohria caffrorum (L.) Desv. : a new, unique model organism for the study of desiccation tolerance
title_full_unstemmed Mohria caffrorum (L.) Desv. : a new, unique model organism for the study of desiccation tolerance
title_short Mohria caffrorum (L.) Desv. : a new, unique model organism for the study of desiccation tolerance
title_sort mohria caffrorum l desv a new unique model organism for the study of desiccation tolerance
topic Botany
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/23926
work_keys_str_mv AT wiswedelstefan mohriacaffrorumldesvanewuniquemodelorganismforthestudyofdesiccationtolerance