Abstract: A screening of Pteridophytes growing on serpentine and metalliferous soils in Northern Italy was carried out to assess the ability of these plants to tolerate or accumulate trace elements of toxicological interest. Few data are available on metal tolerance/accumulation of terrestrial ferns growing in the Mediterranean region, and several species presented here have never been investigated for this purpose. The trace-element composition (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn) and P content of aerial parts of plants (12 fern and 2 horsetail species) and of their associated soils were measured. An analysis of the relationship between element concentrations in soil and in shoot revealed a significant correlation only for Zn (p < 0.05). Hierarchical cluster analysis based on element concentrations in plant aerial parts showed two outliers, viz. Equisetum ramosissimum Desf., showing the highest levels of Cr, Fe, Cu, Ni, and As, and Nephrolepis cordifolia C. Presl., showing the highest Pb value. The bioaccumulation factor exceeded 1 only for Cd in two species, Athyrium filix-femina and Dryopteris filix-mas. However, also in these cases the corresponding values of the metal in the shoots were below the thresholds for hyperaccumulators. The examined Pteridophytes seem to have developed their adaptation prevalently through mechanisms of tolerance based on metal exclusion. None of these plant species seem suitable for phytoextraction, but N. cordifolia, Pteridium aquilinum ssp. aquilinum, and E. ramosissimum have potential to be used for stabilization and restoration of soils rich in heavy metals.

Abstract: We were interested in whether the contrasting regional distribution patterns of three congeneric, frequently co-occurring fern species (Dryopteris carthusiana, D. dilatata and D. expansa) could be explained by differential biomass allocation strategies and different phenotypic plasticities to light availability. The morphology and habitat preference of these ferns are known to be very similar, but in Estonia, their frequencies of occurrence differ sharply––Dryopteris carthusiana is common, D. expansa grows in scattered localities, and D. dilatata is rare. We grew the species under different levels of illumination (100, 50, 25 and 10% of full daylight) in an experimental garden to compare their autecological responses to shading. After one growing season there were clear interspecific differences in total plant biomass accumulation––D. carthusiana > D. expansa > D. dilatata––indicating the possible competitive inferiority of the latter at the young sporophyte stage. D. expansa was the least shade-tolerant, with biomass decreasing sharply under less than 50% illumination; D. dilatata was the most shade-tolerant, with similar growth at all illumination levels. In relative biomass allocation patterns, the most notable differences among species were in the relative shares of biomass stored in rhizomes. In D. carthusiana and D. expansa this share was nearly constant and independent of the illumination conditions. D. dilatata allocated very little biomass into rhizome in deep shade, but was able to increase this share more than twofold in 50% light. Dryopteris dilatata was clearly shown to be morphologically the most plastic of the three. In four traits––rhizome mass, frond:below-ground biomass ratio, stipe length and specific leaf area––its degree of ontogenetic plasticity to light was significantly higher than that of D. expansa and D. carthusiana. While the general performance (biomass production) of species in the experiment coincided with that observed in nature, the results of plasticity estimation were somewhat surprising––it is difficult to explain the inferior performance of a species (D. dilatata) through high morphological plasticity. Probably, the species is rare either because of certain climatic restrictions, or because it is presently expanding its distribution and is in the phase of invading Estonian understory communities.

Abstract: The morphology of a Glomus-like fungus-host interaction in chlorophyllous gametophytes and young apogamic sporophytes of Dryopteris muenchii A.R. Sm. was studied from ferns cultivated in laboratory, using soil as substrate. An aseptate fungus colonized the gametophytes tissue through the rhizoids, developing vesicles. The fungus penetrated the young sporophytes primary roots by developing appressoria. It spread forming inter- and intra-cellular hyphae through the epidermis and the outermost cortical cell layers, where it formed vesicles, hyphal coils-like and arbuscules. The fungus hyphae never colonized the gametophytesporophyte cellular junction. The fungal structures observed on D. muenchii during this study, are rather similar to those reported for the plant host-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) interaction, where the AMF described belonged to Phylum Glomeromycota. Therefore, this study is a contribution to the scarce knowledgement of the association between AMF and chlorophyllous gametophytes and young apogamic sporophytes of ferns.

Abstract: Dryopteris remota that up to the current moment, presents an area fragmentary in the Pyrenees, is quoted for the first time of the province of Cantabria. Some considerations do on his distribution in the Iberian Peninsula and information is provided for his identification. Dryopteris x alejandrei as hybrid is described between D. mindshelkensis and D. oreades, and the possible origin of the same one is corroborated, by means of the analysis of morphologic information and cytologic

Abstract: Based on extensive field work, 282 fern species, belonging to 119 genera in 50 families, were recorded in Yinggeling Nature Reserve, Hainan Island, China Among the 282 species, eight are new records to Hainan, ie Alsophila denticulata, Arachniodes amoena, Athyrium wangii, Dictyocline wilfordii, Dryopteris tenuicula, Phlegmariurus taiwanensis, Pronephrium megacuspe and Pseudophegopteris pyrrhorachis The fern flora of Yinggeling is very rich and contains 893% families, 844% genera and 627% species of the fern flora of Hainan Island This flora is characterized by tropical distribution elements, represented by 973% tropical families, 883% tropical genera and 634% tropical species Besides the tropical elements, local endemic and East Asia distribution elements are also prominent components The four species-rich families with more than 20 species are Polypodiaceae, Athyriaceae, Thelypteridaceae and Aspleniaceae, and the five species-rich genera with more than 10 species are Asplenium, Pteris, Allantodia, Selaginella and Cyclosorus Regarding the ecology of the fern flora, four major habitats can be identified: arid forest or shrub habitat at low altitude, dense forest habitat at middle and high altitude, humid ravine forest habitat at middle and high altitude, and mossy dwarf forest habitat at high altitude Pteridophytes are mostly abundant in humid ravine habitat at middle and high altitude According to 2001 IUCN Red List and Categories, 56 fern species are threatened in Hainan Island, ie four species are Critically Endangered (CR) (ie Athyrium hainanense and Helminthostachys zeylanica), 17 species are Endangered (EN) and 37 are Vulnerable (VU) In addition, ten fern species are under Class II National Protection in China

Abstract: Objective The anti-microbial activities of the alkaloid extracted from Dryopteris filix-mas(L.) Schott are studied in this paper.Methods Total alkaloids were extracted from Dryopteris filix-mas(L.) by ultrasound-assisted extraction.The methods of filter paper piece was taken to determine anti-microbial activities of total alkaloids from Dryopteris filix-mas(L.) and agar plate dilution method to detect MIC of total alkaloids from Dryopteris filix-mas(L.).Results The MIC of total alkaloids were 0.8 mg/mL,0.4 mg/mL,1.6 mg/mL,1.6 mg/mL,3.2 mg/mL,respectively.Conclusions The total alkaloids have great strong anti-microbial activities.It has exploitation prospect.

Abstract: Micropropagation of Dryopteris cristata (L.) A. Gray by rhizome explants requires a pre-treatment procedure as a <<stage 0>>. Mycological examinations of fungi from fern rhizomes allowed to determine 24 species represented by 66 isolates and a group non-sporulating colonies. Most frequently fungi were represented by Cylindrocarpon destructans and Mycelium radicis atrovirens. The pre-treatment procedure reduces exogenous and endogenous contamination by fungi, actinomycetes and other bacteria in developing adventitious buds. Starvation of rhizomes during pre-treatment significantly reduces starch and phenolic contents and thereby prevents browning of the explants. The present data revealed that in decontaminated, actively growing buds there are less phenolics than in contaminated rhizomes.