[lampeye]

That seriously IS a great find. I love this kind of stuff.

A little off-topic, but what about the HEAVY scaling on the midrib of needle-leaf? It's so different from any of the others varieties I've seen. I don't think the description of M. brassii (a commonly-suggested candidate for its identity) mentions those large, abundant scales...?

And a bit more on-topic - The whole Colysis pteropus/Microsorum pteropus thing...did Bosman actually revise the status of this plant, or was it merely suggested as a logical result of the DNA data? Or am I mixing up 2 (or more) separate papers?

 

[lampeye]

Anybody ever try growing any of these from spore?

Reading your post, I would like to ask - do any of your needle-leaf clones have the scaly rachis I was mentioning? Mine does, regardless of growing conditions and it is SIGNIFICANTLY different from any Java ferns I've seen or grown. I expected it would be there on "trident," but when I finally got some...there it WASN'T. I was assuming "trident" was most closely related to needle-leaf, but I guess not, now that I see them together.

 

[lampeye]

I'm going try sowing some this week. I'm using the wet terra-cotta method. I'll let everyone know how it works out.

Interesting shot of the "trident" - mine don't show much in the way of scales but then they are young plantlets.

Since we're uncertain of the identity, perhaps we shouldn't call anything "needle-leaf" in quotes, as that is the protocol for cultivar names, and if we don't know which is which...

Maybe we should just use needle-leaf (or needle-leaved?) as a plain ol' adjective

 

[lampeye]

Well, the spore experiment was a bust. I even picked fronds where the sori were still golden yellow. I got a good quantity of spore, but absolutely none of them germinated. I'll try again once I get my emersed setup up and running.

 

[lampeye]

Oh, and Miremonster -

What do you recommend for best results when growing J-ferns emersed? Pot culture with soil, or a soilless mix? Or is it best to simply attach the rhizome to a porous surface just as when one grows them submersed while keeping the feet wet?

 

[lampeye]

I might have to go the agar route if J-fern proves recalcitrant, but I always thought of agar as something of a PitA. ;-)

Fern spores can usually be germinated quite easily on an unglazed terra cotta pot or tile standing in water (and kept in a humid atmosphere, of course).

 

[lampeye]

MM - you mentioned that you too struck out with java fern from spores. Did you ever encounter any volunteer gametophytes at the greenhouse?

 

[lampeye]

Hm...I know some spleenworts have persistent gametophytes that can last "indefinitely" under the proper conditions, and do, in fact, reproduce vegetatively (actually, the only one I can remember for sure is Camptosorus), so it certainly is possible. Suesswassertang does it too...