# Strange seed like particles appearing in my cube.



## Sarpijk (15 Nov 2017)

Hi, I have had a maidenhair fern for around two years growing on top of my 30 litre low tech cube housing shrimp.

Lately I have noticed some strange like particles collection in the pre filter sponge of my filter. 

I suspect that the fern is to blame. It has doubled in size and I see new fronts emerging from the base all the time. I believe that possibly the particles I see are probably seeds.

I have included some pics of the plant, the base and the strange new growth and also a not so clear pic of the particles on the filter.


Cheers
Steve


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## Edvet (16 Nov 2017)

Ferns don't seed, they spore


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## Sarpijk (16 Nov 2017)

Edvet said:


> Ferns don't seed, they spore


Hi ,
Well I don't see much of a difference as in Greek "σπόρος"(spore) is literally translated as seed!


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## Edvet (16 Nov 2017)

Looks like it may be the covers of the spore cases.
The spores are very tiny.


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## dw1305 (16 Nov 2017)

Hi all,
Your fern is doing well.





Edvet said:


> Looks like it may be the covers of the spore cases.


I think they may be these as well, technically they are called the indusium, and they cover the sori, which produce the spores.





Sarpijk said:


> Hi, Well I don't see much of a difference as in Greek "σπόρος"(spore) is literally translated as seed!


 The botanical difference is the state of ploidy, fern spores are haploid (n) and fertilzation has to occur before the sporophyte diploid (2n) generation can grow. 

The spore germinates to form a prothallus, which then bears the antheridia and archegonia.



 

With seeds the fertilization has already occurred, during pollination, and they are diploid (2n).





Sarpijk said:


>


The green bodies are probably gemmae, they don't like the growing sporophyte from the fertilised prothallus. Gemmae are vegetative (diploid) propagules produced by some higher plants, bryophytes and ferns.

I couldn't find out if _Adiantum_ spp. form gemmae, but the curled look of the top one on the right definitely looks like a fern.

cheers Darrel


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## Sarpijk (16 Nov 2017)

Thanks Darrel,

How could the pollination occur in my house? Also why is it that only now, after two years, I start to see these spores? 
I should mention that I have actually two plants,  I have cut part of the rhizome from the first one and I have placed it opposite the other. The one with the green growth is the small one. The one with the new leaves unfolding is the mother plant.


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## dw1305 (16 Nov 2017)

Hi all,





Sarpijk said:


> Thanks Darrel,
> 
> How could the pollination occur in my house? Also why is it that only now, after two years, I start to see these spores?
> I should mention that I have actually two plants,  I have cut part of the rhizome from the first one and I have placed it opposite the other. The one with the green growth is the small one. The one with the new leaves unfolding is the mother plant.


The plant has just reached sexual maturity and started producing spores. Because the new plant is a division I think that makes it much more likely that the green growths are gemmae from the division of your existing plant. 

I get fern prothalli grew in all my houseplants which are kept moist, they look like liverworts, but eventually a new sporophyte (the fern) will grow. Fern and moss spores are like pollen, they are everywhere in the air.

Cheers Darrel


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