What Are Elaters In Horsetails?

In the horsetails, elaters are four ribbon-like appendages attached to the spores. These appendages develop from an outer spiral layer of the spore wall. At maturity, the four strips peel away from the inner wall, except at a single point on the spore where all four strips are attached.

Do horsetails have elaters?

Equisetum plants (horsetails) reproduce by producing tiny spherical spores that are typically 50 µm in diameter. The spores have four elaters, which are flexible ribbon-like appendages that are initially wrapped around the main spore body and that deploy upon drying or fold back in humid air.

What do you mean by elaters?

Definition of elater
: a plant structure functioning in the dispersal of spores: such as. a : one of the elongated filaments among the spores in the capsule of a liverwort. b : one of the filamentous appendages of the spores in the horsetails.

What is elaters in Pteridophytes?

Elaters are ribbon-like or tube-like structures that are attached to the spore walls. They are sterile cells. Elaters are hygroscopic (can absorb water) in nature. Their main function is the dispersal of spores as they push the spores out of the plant by absorbing moisture.

What are elaters and Pseudoelaters?

Elaters and pseudoelaters are sterile cells, where they combine with spores and release into valves, Elaters are usually present in hepaticopsida whereas pseudoelaters are present in Anthocerotopsida.

What are elaters and their function?

Elaters come in a variety of forms, but are always associated with plant spores. In many plants that do not have seeds, they function in dispersing the spores to a new location. Mosses do not have elaters, but peristomes which change shape with changes in humidity or moisture to allow for a gradual release of spores.

How elaters are formed?

Elaters of liverworts form from a spore-elater division and do not undergo further mitotic divisions (Schuster 1966). The elaters of liverworts are always unicellular and easily recognizable as the long, threadlike cells associated with spores.

Where is elaters?

Elaters are the long spindle-shaped hygroscopic structures with spiral thickening inside them. They are present inside the capsule of bryophytes and serve in spore dispersal.

Are elaters haploid or diploid?

diploid
Elaters are diploid because they are formed by differentiation and without any further division. On the other hand, spores are formed after meiosis and thus become haploid.

Why do spores have elaters?

spores have four bands, or elaters, which coil and uncoil in response to changes in humidity, assisting in the dispersal of the spores. Under low light intensity and high humidity, the spores germinate to form small, flattened, green gametophytes.

Which plant is called as horse tail?

genus Equisetum
horsetail, (genus Equisetum), also called scouring rush, fifteen species of rushlike conspicuously jointed perennial herbs, the only living genus of plants in the order Equisetales and the class Equisetopsida.

What is the necessary of elater mechanism?

Elaters are the long spindle shaped hygroscopic structures with spiral thickening inside them. They are present inside the capsule of Marchantia and serve in spore dispersal. Dryopteris is a fern while Riccia and Funaria lack elaters.

Do elater contain spores?

Each of the red elaters is coated with black spores. Four lines of weakness run along the wall of the capsule, which opens out into four lobes. Once the capsule has opened the contents begin to dry out.

What is the function of Pseudoelaters?

Pseudoelaters are cellular structures that help in spore dispersal by surrounding them and helping them to propel. When the sporophyte grows, it divides into two equal halves, thereby releasing the spores. Pseudoelaters aid in scattering these spores to the environment.

What does Pseudoelaters mean?

As the sporophyte grows longer, it splits into two halves lengthwise, releasing the spores as they mature. Along with the spores are cells called pseudoelaters, which change shape as they dry out and thereby assist in scattering the spores.

What is Amphigastria?

Amphigastria are the small leaves located on ventral surface of Porella. They somewhat resemble the postical lobes (lower posterior leaves) located on the ventral side of thallus, while Porella is a large, common, and widespread genus of liverworts. It is a member of the family Porellaceae within that order.

What is the function of elaters in a liverwort?

Elaters are hygroscopic, meaning that they change shape and move in response to changes in moisture content. Elaters function in spore dispersal; as the sporangium dries out, the elaters twist out of the capsule, carrying spores with them (Figures 3.11, 3.12K). FIGURE 3.11. Liverwort morphology and life cycle.

How do elaters aid in the dispersal?

The elaters of horsetail plants aid spore dispersal by coiling and uncoiling in response to humidity.

What is the function of the peristome?

Peristome (exposed) plays an important role in the dispersal of spores. The peristome teeth by their hygroscopic movements help in the discharge of the spores. The inner peristome simply functions as a sieve. The spores are liberated in the dry weather and are carried out by air.

How elaters are formed in Marchantia?

In Marchantia, some of the sporophytes (spore mother cells) that are diploid will remain diploid and undergo a change to form elaters. The other majority of sporophytes will undergo meiosis and form haploid spores. So, in Marchantia the elaters are diploid.

Where is peristome located?

The peristome houses the mouth and is situated on the lower surface, either centrally or towards the anterior border. This is identifiable as the point towards which all five ambulacra converge, and is usually rather small and either circular or pentagonal in outline.