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Further evidence for the hybrid status of the Brazilian native fern Hypolepis ×paulistana (Dennstaedtiaceae)

Abstract

Hypolepis ×paulistana was described in 2016 as a putative hybrid, known from a single gathering. The hybrid status of these plants was based solely on the intermediate morphology of the sporophyte, when compared to its presumed parent species. These were thought to be H. stolonifera and H. rugosula, but, H. rigescens (Kunze) T. Moore could not be explicitly ruled out either. In the present work, we tested the hybrid status of Hypolepis ×paulistana adding palynological evidence and by using chloroplast sequences to unambiguously identify the maternal progenitor of the species. We find that sporangia of Hypolepis ×paulistana contain both well-formed spores, as well as spores with morphological and developmental anomalies. The size of the regular spores and the abnormal spores suggest that H. ×paulistana is likely a diploid, and probably infertile hybrid. The ornamentation of the regular spores of H. ×paulistana is similar to that of H. stolonifera. The chloroplast sequences of H. ×paulistana are identical to those of H. stolonifera, as well as their sister position within the global phylogeny of the genus. Thus, we provide new evidence for the hybrid status of H. ×paulistana, and we corroborate the earlier finding that H. stolonifera is the maternal parent.

Key words
Atlantic Forest; chloroplast markers; hybridization; palynology; phylogeny; southeastern Brazil

INTRODUCTION

Hypolepis Bernh. (Dennstaedtiaceae) is a sub-cosmopolitan, monophyletic, fern genus with about 80 species, mostly distributed in the Neotropics and Oceania/east Asia (Brownsey 1987BROWNSEY PJ. 1987. A review of the fern genus Hypolepis. Blumea 32(2): 227-276., Xing et al. 2013XING F, WANG F, FUNSTON AM & GILBERT MG. 2013. Hypolepis. In: Wu Z, Raven PH & Hong D (Eds), Flora of China. Science Press, Botanical Garden Press, Beijing, Missouri, St. Louis, p. 152-154., Schwartsburd & Prado 2015SCHWARTSBURD PB & PRADO J. 2015. A taxonomic revision of the South American species of Hypolepis (Dennstaedtiaceae), Part I. Am Fern J 105(4): 263-313., Schwartsburd et al. 2020SCHWARTSBURD PB, PERRIE LR, BROWNSEY P, SHEPHERD LD, SHANG H, BARRINGTON DS & SUNDUE MA. 2020. New insights into the evolution of the fern family Dennstaedtiaceae from an expanded molecular phylogeny and morphological analysis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 150: 106881.). Some species of Hypolepis are difficult to circumscribe, and this may be due to events of hybridization, aneuploidy, and polyploidy which are common in the genus (Brownsey 1983BROWNSEY PJ. 1983. Polyploidy and aneuploidy in Hypolepis, and the evolution of the Dennstaedtiales. Am Fern J 73(4): 97-108., Brownsey & Chinnock 1984BROWNSEY PJ & CHINNOCK RJ. 1984. A taxonomic revision of the New Zealand species of Hypolepis. New Zeal J Bot 22(1): 43-80.). In Australia and New Zealand, several cases of hybridization have been reported, and corroborated through combinations of intermediate morphology of specimens (Carse 1929CARSE H. 1929. Botanical notes and new varieties. Trans New Zealand Inst 60: 305-307., Cockayne & Allan 1934COCKAYNE L & ALLAN HH. 1934. An annotated list of groups of wild hybrids in the New Zealand flora. Ann Bot 48(189): 1-55., Brownsey & Chinnock 1984BROWNSEY PJ & CHINNOCK RJ. 1984. A taxonomic revision of the New Zealand species of Hypolepis. New Zeal J Bot 22(1): 43-80.), anomalous or aborted spores (Brownsey & Chinnock 1984BROWNSEY PJ & CHINNOCK RJ. 1984. A taxonomic revision of the New Zealand species of Hypolepis. New Zeal J Bot 22(1): 43-80.), and chromosome counting (Manton & Sledge 1954MANTON I & SLEDGE WA. 1954. Observations on the cytology and taxonomy of the pteridophyte flora of Ceylon. Philos Trans R Soc Lond Series B Biol Sci 238(654): 127-185., Brownsey & Chinnok 1984). In South America, some hybrids have also been reported based on morphology (Schwartsburd & Prado 2015SCHWARTSBURD PB & PRADO J. 2015. A taxonomic revision of the South American species of Hypolepis (Dennstaedtiaceae), Part I. Am Fern J 105(4): 263-313., 2016) and chromosome counting (Smith & Mickel 1977SMITH AR & MICKEL JT. 1977. Chromosome counts for Mexican ferns. Brittonia 29(4): 391-398.).

Recently, Schwartsburd et al. (2020)SCHWARTSBURD PB, PERRIE LR, BROWNSEY P, SHEPHERD LD, SHANG H, BARRINGTON DS & SUNDUE MA. 2020. New insights into the evolution of the fern family Dennstaedtiaceae from an expanded molecular phylogeny and morphological analysis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 150: 106881. presented evidence that the spore length in Hypolepis is directly related to the ploidy of the taxa, and that diploid and tetraploid status can be assigned using these measurements. They suggested that combinations of sporophyte morphology, palynology, chromosome counts and chloroplast DNA sequences, have the potential to unambiguously reveal diploid and tetraploid hybrids (or, tetraploid species with hybrid origin), as well as their maternal inheritance. Based on the combination of these traits, the authors proposed an allotetraploid origin for six species (or, tetraploid hybrids) and two diploid hybrids, one of which is infertile (Schwartsburd et al. 2020SCHWARTSBURD PB, PERRIE LR, BROWNSEY P, SHEPHERD LD, SHANG H, BARRINGTON DS & SUNDUE MA. 2020. New insights into the evolution of the fern family Dennstaedtiaceae from an expanded molecular phylogeny and morphological analysis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 150: 106881.: Table II).

Table I
Morphological and habitat comparisons among Hypolepis ×paulistana and the probable parents.
Table II
Spore diameters of H. ×paulistana and potential parent species, Hypolepis rugosula subsp. pradoana and H. stolonifera var. stolonifera. Values expressed in microns. µ = mean, s = standard deviation.

Hybridization is common in ferns (Barrington et al. 1989BARRINGTON DSC, HAUFLER H & WERTH CR. 1989. Hybridization, Reticulation, and Species Concepts in the Ferns. Am Fern J 79(2): 55-64.) and is thought to be one of the major processes in their evolution (Knobloch 1996KNOBLOCH IW. 1996. Pteridophyte hybrids and their derivatives, Michigan State University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, East Lansing, 102 p., Sigel 2016SIGEL EM. 2016. Genetic and genomic aspects of hybridization in ferns. J Syst Evol 54(6): 638-655.). Although palynological studies of hybrid ferns are still scarce, the presence of anomalous reproductive characters, in combination with morphological intermediacy, is a strong evidence of hybridization events. In this sense, fern hybridization is often associated with failure of indusium eversion; collapsed, small, unopened sporangia; alterations of sporoderm and protoplast developments (Wagner et al. 1986WAGNER WH, WAGNER FS & TAYLOR WC. 1986. Detecting abortive spores in herbarium specimens of sterile hybrids. Am Fern J 76(3): 129-140., Barrington et al. 1989BARRINGTON DSC, HAUFLER H & WERTH CR. 1989. Hybridization, Reticulation, and Species Concepts in the Ferns. Am Fern J 79(2): 55-64.); the presence of blackened materials on the inner surfaces of the sporangial capsules (Wagner et al. 1973WAGNER WH, WAGNER FS, LANKALIS JA & MATTHEWS JF. 1973. Asplenium montanum xplatyneuron, a New Primary Member of the Appalachian Spleenwort Complex from Crowder’s Mountain, NC. J Elisha Mitchell Sci Soc 89(3): 218-223.); abnormal spore shapes, such as spherical, twisted, square, and/or triangular, and spores with different sizes mixed in the same specimens (Wagner & Chen 1965WAGNER WH & CHEN KL. 1965. Abortion of spores and sporangia as a tool in the detection of Dryopteris hybrids. Am Fern J 55: 9-29., Wagner 1973WAGNER WH. 1973. Reticulation of holly ferns (Polystichum) in the western United States and adjacent Canada. Am Fern J 63(3): 99-115.) and variations in the ornamentation, pigmentation, degree of development and form of dispersion (through diads or tetrads) (Morzenti 1966MORZENTI VM. 1966. Morphological and cytological data on southeastern United States species of the Asplenium heterochroum–resiliens complex. Am Fern J 56(4): 167-177., Wagner & Boydston 1958WAGNER WH & BOYDSTON KE. 1958. A new hybrid Spleenwort from artificial cultures at fernwood and its relationships to a peculiar plant from West Virginia. Am Fern J 48(4): 146-159., Morbelli 1974MORBELLI MA. 1974. Análisis palinológico en híbridos interespecíficos del género Blechnum L., subégero Blechnum (Blechnaceae–Pteridophyta). Bol Soc Arg Bot 15(4): 446-466., Hennipman 1977HENNIPMAN E. 1977. A monograph of the fern genus Bolbitis (Lomariopsidaceae). Leiden Bot Ser 2(1): 1-329., Wagner 1980WAGNER WH. 1980. A probable new hybrid grapefern, Botrychium matricariifolium x simplex, from central Michigan (Pteridophyta). Michigan Botanist 19(1): 31-36., Sleep 2014SLEEP A. 2014. Hybridization in Polystichum (Dryopteridaceae: Pteridophyta). Fern Gaz 19(8): 319-341.).

Additionally, the presence of aborted spores in hybrids is an indicator that they are not viable (Manton 1950MANTON I. 1950. Problems of cytology and evolution in the Pteridophyta. New York: Cambridge University Press, 311 p., Wagner 1969WAGNER WH. 1969. The role and taxonomic treatment of hybrids. Bioscience 19(9): 785-795.) and, therefore, that the hybrids which produce them are sterile (Wagner & Darling 1957WAGNER WH & DARLING T. 1957. Synthetic and wild Asplenium gravesii. Brittonia 9(1): 57-63., Wagner 1971WAGNER WH. 1971. Evolution of Dryopteris in relation to the Appalachians. In: Holt PC (Ed), The Distributional History of the Biota of the Southern Appalachians, Part II, Blacksburg: Flora, p. 147-192., Chang et al. 2009CHANG HM, CHIOU WL & WANG JC. 2009. Molecular evidence for genetic heterogeneity and the hybrid origin of Acrorumohra subreflexipinna from Taiwan. Am Fern J 99(2): 61-77.). According to Wagner (1974)WAGNER WH. 1974. Structure of spores in relation to fern phylogeny. Ann Missouri Bot Gard 61: 322-353. the finding of specimens that produce aborted spores is frequently correlated with the sympatric appearance of two closely related species that are capable of forming hybrids. For these authors, the origin of the anomalies could be due to accumulated genetic differences between the parents and presumably sterility barriers. However, there are numerous examples of hybrid spores with the ability to germinate and form gametophytes (Morzenti 1962MORZENTI VM. 1962. A first report on pseudomeiotic sporogenesis, a type of spore reproduction by which “sterile” ferns produce gametophytes. Am Fern J 52(2): 69-78., Mayer & Mesler 1993MAYER MS & MESLER MR. 1993. Morphometric evidence of hybrid swarms in mixed populations of Polystichum munitum and P. imbricans (Dryopteridaceae). Syst Bot 18(2): 248-260.), and meiotic mechanisms that allow the fertility of such hybrids.

Concerning to the identification of parental species, it is known that chloroplast and mitochondrial DNAs are maternally inherited in ferns (i.e., from the egg-cell), whereas the paternal inheritance (the atherozoid) contributes only to nuclear DNA (Gastony & Yatskievych 1992GASTONY GJ & YATSKIEVYCH G. 1992. Maternal inheritance of the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes in cheilanthoid ferns. Am J Bot 79(6): 716-722., Kuo et al. 2018KUO LY, TANG TY, LI FW, SU HJ, CHIOU WL, HUANG YM & WANG CN. 2018. Organelle genome inheritance in Deparia ferns (Athyriaceae, Aspleniineae, Polypodiales). Frontiers in Plant Science 9: 486. doi:10.3389/fpls.2018.00486.). And so, in hybridization events, the hybrids would have the same chloroplast and mitochondrial DNAs as their maternal progenitors (Vogel et al. 1998VOGEL JC, RUSSELL SJ, RUMSEY FJ, BARRETT JA & GIBBY M. 1998. Evidence for maternal transmission of chloroplast DNA in the genus Asplenium (Aspleniaceae, Pteridophyta). Bot Acta 111(3): 247-249., Xiang et al. 2000XIANG L, WERTH CR, EMERY SN & MCCAULEY DE. 2000. Population specific gender biased hybridization between Dryopteris intermedia and D. carthusiana: evidence from chloroplast DNA. Am Fern J 87(8): 1175-1180., Testo et al. 2015TESTO WL, WATKINS JR JE & BARRINGTON DS. 2015. Dynamics of asymmetrical hybridization in North American wood ferns: reconciling patterns of inheritance with gametophyte reproductive biology. New Phytol 206(2): 785-795., Hornych et al. 2019HORNYCH O, EKRT L, RIEDEL F, KOUTECKÝ P & KOŠNAR J. 2019. Asymmetric hybridization in Central European populations of the Dryopteris carthusiana group. Am J Bot 106(11): 1-10.). On the other hand, the identification of paternal lineages requires more complex analyses, such as combining sequences of nuclear markers with sequences of low-copy markers (e.g., Pereira et al. 2019PEREIRA JB, LABIAK PH, STÜTZEL T & SCHULZ C. 2019. Nuclear multi-locus phylogenetic inferences of polyploid Isoëtes species (Isoëtaceae) suggest several unknown diploid progenitors and a new polyploid species from South America. Bot J Linn 189(1): 6-22.).

In Brazil, two Hypolepis hybrids have been proposed (Schwartsburd & Prado 2015SCHWARTSBURD PB & PRADO J. 2015. A taxonomic revision of the South American species of Hypolepis (Dennstaedtiaceae), Part I. Am Fern J 105(4): 263-313., 2016, Schwartsburd et al. 2020SCHWARTSBURD PB, PERRIE LR, BROWNSEY P, SHEPHERD LD, SHANG H, BARRINGTON DS & SUNDUE MA. 2020. New insights into the evolution of the fern family Dennstaedtiaceae from an expanded molecular phylogeny and morphological analysis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 150: 106881.). One of these was named H. ×paulistana Schwartsb. & J. Prado and it was suggested to be a hybrid based on the intermediate morphology between it and the two suggested parents: H. stolonifera Fée, and H. rugosula J. Sm. subsp. pradoana Schwartsb. (Schwartsburd & Prado 2016SCHWARTSBURD PB & PRADO J. 2016. A taxonomic revision of the South American species of Hypolepis (Dennstaedtiaceae), Part II. Am Fern J 106(1): 1-53.). Hypolepis stonolifera was further implicated because it was found growing near the hybrid in the type locality of Hypolepis ×paulistana. Furthermore, another similar species which could potentially be interpreted as a parent is H. rigescens because, besides H. rugosula and Hypolepis ×paulistana, they are the only Hypolepis taxa with glandular hairs in southeastern Brazil.

Regarding their geographic distributions, H. stolonifera is a common widespread species that is found in habitats similar to that of the type locality; H. rugosula subsp. pradoana is comparatively rare, restricted to the highlands of the Atlantic Forest, and expected to occur at higher elevations than the type locality (from 2000 m to 2600 m); and H. rigescens occurs in lower elevations in southeastern Brazil, around 600 to 1200 m. (Schwartsburd & Prado 2015SCHWARTSBURD PB & PRADO J. 2015. A taxonomic revision of the South American species of Hypolepis (Dennstaedtiaceae), Part I. Am Fern J 105(4): 263-313., 2016).

Additional Hypolepis spp. occurring in Brazil (H. acantha Schwarstb., H. miodelii Schwartsb., H. mitis Kunze ex Kuhn, and H. repens (L.) C. Presl), can be excluded because they show clear morphological differences with respect to H. ×paulistana—their leaves are much larger, they are aculeate, and they have sparse indument (Schwartsburd & Prado 2015SCHWARTSBURD PB & PRADO J. 2015. A taxonomic revision of the South American species of Hypolepis (Dennstaedtiaceae), Part I. Am Fern J 105(4): 263-313., 2016).

Phylogenetic inference can also be used to infer parentage of the presumed hybrid. Schwartsburd et al. (2020)SCHWARTSBURD PB, PERRIE LR, BROWNSEY P, SHEPHERD LD, SHANG H, BARRINGTON DS & SUNDUE MA. 2020. New insights into the evolution of the fern family Dennstaedtiaceae from an expanded molecular phylogeny and morphological analysis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 150: 106881. found that H. ×paulistana is nested within the Hypolepis stolonifera-clade, among specimens of H. stolonifera, H. acantha Schwartsb., H. grandis Lellinger, and another hybrid involving H. stolonifera (H. mitis × H. stolonifera). Hypolepis rigescens is nested within the Hypolepis repens-clade, an essentially western South American/Mesoamerican clade of Hypolepis. The Hypolepis stolonifera-clade and the Hypolepis repens-clade are sister clades.

On the other hand, H. rugosula subsp. pradoana Schwartsb. nested within the Hypolepis rugosula-clade, among specimens of H. rugosula from elsewhere (Australia, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, etc.), far removed from the Hypolepis stolonifera-clade.

In the present work, we aimed to test the hybrid status of H. ×paulistana, adding palynological studies to the previous morphological hypothesis, and studying the chloroplast sequences to test the putative maternal progenitor of the species.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Examined specimens

Specimens of Hypolepis ×paulistana were collected in January of 2010, along the road to Pico do Itapeva, a highland mountain area of around 1880 m located in Pindamonhangaba, state of São Paulo, Brazil, within the Atlantic Forest biome (type locality) and deposited in herbaria of Duke University (DUKE), La Plata Museum (LP), Missouri Botanical Garden (MO), Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (RB), Instituto de Botânica (SP), and Universidade Federal de Viçosa (VIC). The letters MP, in the specimen investigated indicate the reference number of palynological sample filed in the Laboratory of Palynology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum (La Plata, Argentina).

We also conducted searches for additional herbarium specimens of Hypolepis ×paulistana; these are listed in Schwartsburd & Prado (2016)SCHWARTSBURD PB & PRADO J. 2016. A taxonomic revision of the South American species of Hypolepis (Dennstaedtiaceae), Part II. Am Fern J 106(1): 1-53..

Searches for specimens of potential parent species: H. rigescens (Kunze) T. Moore, H. rugosula, and H. stolonifera, were conducted in LP, PACA, SP, VIC and VT. These specimens are listed in Table III.

Table III
Specimens examined of Hypolepis ×paulistana potential parent species.

Morphological comparisons

General morphological comparisons of laminae characters were carried out among Hypolepis ×paulistana, H. rigescens, H. rugosula, and H. stolonifera. We used standard terminology for the morphological descriptions (Lellinger 2002LELLINGER DB. 2002. A modern multilingual glossary for taxonomic pteridology. Pteridologia 3: 1-263.).

Palynological analysis

Spores were studied using Light microscope (LM) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). For LM, spores were studied without chemical treatment since the perispore does not resist acetolysis treatment (Erdtman 1960ERDTMAN G. 1960. The acetolysis method. A revised description. Svensk Bot Tidsk 54: 561-564.). Spores were mounted in gelatin glycerin jelly. For normal spores of Hypolepis ×paulistana, polar diameter, major and minor equatorial diameters (Ramos Giacosa et al. 2009RAMOS GIACOSA JP, MORBELLI MA & GIUDICE GE. 2009. Spore morphology and wall ultrastructure of Blechnum L. species from North West Argentina. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 156(1): 185-197., Figure 1), perispore and exospore thickness were measured (Nayar 1964NAYAR BK. 1964. Palynology of modern pteridophytes. In: Nair PK (Ed), Advances in palynology, Lucknow: National Botanic Gardens, p. 101-141.). Likewise, spores with abnormalities found for this species were identified and measured when possible. To calculate the percentage of normal spores and spores with anomalies, we randomly selected a total of 1654 spores from different mature sporangia. The observations were performed with Olympus BH2 LM and photographs were taken with a Nikon Coolpix S10 digital camera at the Palynology lab from Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum (La Plata, Argentina).

Figure 1
Variability of Hypolepis x paulistana spores. AbL= laesurae with abnormalities (0.2%), C = Collapsed spores (63%), D/T = Dyads or Tetrads (13.3%), N = Normal spores (19.4%), PB = Bodies of perisporic material (3.5%), S = Spheroidal spores (0.6%).

For SEM observation spores were treated with hot 3% sodium carbonate, washed, dehydrated, suspended in 96% ethanol and then transferred to acetate plates (Morbelli 1980MORBELLI MA. 1980. Morfología de las esporas de Pteridophyta presentes en la región fuego–patagonica República Argentina. Opera Lilloana 28: 138.). After drying, the spores were coated with gold. The observations were performed with a Jeol JSMT100 from the Microscopy Service of Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum (La Plata, Argentina) and with a Philips XL 30 TMP New Look from the Microscopy Service of Natural Science Argentine Museum “Bernardino Rivadavia” (Buenos Aires City, Argentina).

Kremp (1965)KREMP GOW. 1965. Morphologic Encyclopedia of Palynology: An Internat. Collection of Definitions and Ill of Spores and Pollen, Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 263 p., Huang (1981)HUANG TC. 1981. Spore flora of Taiwan, Taiwan: National Taiwan University, 104 p., Tryon & Lugardon (1991)TRYON AF & LUGARDON B. 1991. Spores of the Pteridophyta: surface, wall structure, and diversity based on electron microscope studies. New York: Springer–Verlag, 648 p., Punt et al. (1994PUNT W, BLACKMORE S, NILSSON S & THOMAS ALE. 1994. Glossary of pollen and spore terminology, Utrecht: LPP contribution Ser, 71 p., 2007PUNT W, HOEN PP, BLACKMORE S & THOMAS ALE. 2007. Glossary of pollen and spore terminology. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 143(1): 1-81.), Lellinger (2002)LELLINGER DB. 2002. A modern multilingual glossary for taxonomic pteridology. Pteridologia 3: 1-263., and Sáenz Laín (2004)SÁENZ LAÍN C. 2004. Glosario de términos palinológicos. Lazaroa 25: 93-112. were followed to describe the spore morphology and their wall ultra–structure. To describe the ornamentation elements of Hypolepis ×paulistana and H. stolonifera the concept of “knife” was introduced, which is a flattened element three times longer than wide (3:1) (Figure 3b). The elements that constitute the ornamentation of these species were previously described by Tryon & Lugardon (1991)TRYON AF & LUGARDON B. 1991. Spores of the Pteridophyta: surface, wall structure, and diversity based on electron microscope studies. New York: Springer–Verlag, 648 p. as “echinae”. However, we consider it necessary to introduce a new term to distinguish these elements, because the authors described echinae as being radially symmetrical, which is not observed in the flattened elements of the studied species ornamentation.

Figure 3
Spores of Hypolepis x paulistana, with SEM. a) Spore in distal view. b) Detail of ornamentation. Circle = Knife element. Scheme = knife element in longitudinal view. c) Spores with abnormalities. d) Tetrads of collapsed spores without ornamentation. e) Spheroidal spores. f) Dyad of spores. Scale bars a, e–f= 10 µm; b= 2 µm; c–d= 20 µm.

cpDNA comparison and phylogenetic analyses

For comparisons of chloroplast DNA, we use at the results of Schwartsburd et al. (2020)SCHWARTSBURD PB, PERRIE LR, BROWNSEY P, SHEPHERD LD, SHANG H, BARRINGTON DS & SUNDUE MA. 2020. New insights into the evolution of the fern family Dennstaedtiaceae from an expanded molecular phylogeny and morphological analysis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 150: 106881., in which a Maximum Likelihood, phylogenetic tree was inferred from five markers (atpA, rbcL, rpl16, rps4-trnS, trnL-trnF), from nearly half of all Hypolepis species Worldwide. Having that tree in mind, we downloaded their generated sequences now available on GenBank (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/). We compared the sequences of three markers (rpl16, rps4-trnS, trnL-trnF) of one specimen of H. ×paulistana with two of H. stolonifera, one of H. rugosula and one of H. rigescens using an alignment generated with MAFFT (Katoh & Standley 2013KATOH K & STANDLEY DM. 2013. MAFFT multiple sequence alignment software version 7: improvements in performance and usability. Mol Biol Evol 30: 772-780.) in Geneious Prime®, version 2019.0.4 (Biomatters Ltd., San Francisco, California, USA).

RESULTS

Morphological comparisons and geographic distributions

Table I shows morphological comparisons and geographic distributions of the studied species.

Palynological results

Hypolepis ×paulistana Schwartsb. & J. Prado

Spores are monolete, bilateral, elliptic in polar view (Figure 2a). Spore diameters are shown in Table II. In equatorial view, the proximal face is flat and the distal face is convex to hemispheric (Figure 2b). The laesurae extends from 2/3 to 3/4 of the length of the spore. With LM, the perispore is light brown and the exospore is hyaline.

Figure 2
Spores of Hypolepis x paulistana, with LM. a) Normal spore in proximal view. b) Normal spore in equatorial view. c) Spores with abnormalities. The dimensions of the spores vary within the same specimen and have irregular shapes. d) Collapsed spore with concavities and without protoplast. e) Spore with laesura courved at ends. f) Spheroidal spores with radiated symmetry. g) Tetrads of spores. h) Dyads of spores. i) Amorphous body ornamented by knife elements similar to those of the normal spores perispore (arrow). Scale bars c = 30 µm; a–b, d–i = 10 µm.

The ornamentation has short knife and echinae 1–5.03 µm long, distributed throughout the surface (Figure 3a–b). The threads are 0.09–3.5 nm thick, connect the ornamentation elements, and form a network (Figure 3a). The surface is microverrucated (Figure 3b)

In addition to the “normal” looking spores, abnormal spores with alterations related to shape, dimensions, grouping, and form of the laesura (Figure 2c, 3c) were found within the sporangia:

1. Collapsed spores without protoplast (Figure 2c–d, 3c–d): Spores with major equatorial diameter of 20–31 µm forming major concavities or twisting, like a prune. Some of them do not have protoplast (black spores in Figure 2c–d). Spores without ornamentation can be observed.

2. Abnormalities or absence of laesurae: There are spores with curved laesurae, that extend beyond the proximal face (Figure 2e). Also, spheroidal spores without lesura were observed (Figure 2f).

3. Spheroidal spores (Figure 2f, 3e): Spores of radiated symmetry, 30–32 μm diameter, alete, with similar ornamentation to normal spores were observed.

4. Dyads and tetrads (Figure 2g–h, 3d, f): groups of two or four mature and immature spores with different shapes are seen.

5. Bodies of perisporic material (Figure 2i): there are small amorphous bodies of different size between spores, with a similar color and ornamentation to peripore.

Among the total of studied spores of Hypolepis ×paulistana, 19.4% were “normal” and 80.6% showed one of these morphological and developmental anomalies (Figure 1).

Hypolepis rugosula subsp. pradoana Schwartsb.

Spores are monolete, bilateral, oblong to sub–elliptic in polar view (Figure 4a). Spores diameters are shown in Table II. In equatorial view the proximal face is concave to plane and the distal face is hemispheric (Figure 4b). The laesurae is straight and extends from 2/3 to 3/4 of the length of the spore. The perispore is hyaline and the exospore is light brown at LM. The ornamentation is cristate. The crests are variable in length and height, with an irregular margin.

Figure 4
Spores of parent species. a–b Spores of Hypolepis rugosula subsp. pradoana. a) Spore in proximal view. b) Spore in equatorial view. c–d. Spores of Hypolepis stolonifera var stolonifera. c) Spores in proximal view. d) Spores in equatorial view. Scale bar = 10 µm.

Hypolepis stolonifera Feé var. stolonifera

Spores are monolete, bilateral, elliptic in polar view and plane-hemispheric in equatorial view (Figure 4c–d). Spores diameters are shown in Table II. The laesurae extends from 3/4 of the length of the spore. Perispore is light brown and the exospore is yellowish to hyaline with LM. Spore ornamentation is formed by echinae and knife elements of 2.1-3.5 µm long, distributed throughout on the surface.

Chloroplast DNA comparisons (Figure 5)

In our chloroplast DNA alignment, we found variation in the rpl16 intron. At positions 315 and 320 in the three Hypolepis stolonifera samples and in H. ×paulistana there is a thymine, whereas in the three H. rugosula and in H. rigescens there is a cytosine. In regions 464 and 476 H. ×paulistana and H. stolonifera share an adenine, whereas the other species have a guanine there. On positions 567 to 570, H. rugosula has an insertion of GGAA unique to it.

Figure 5
Chloroplast DNA comparison between Hypolepis ×pauslistana, H. rigescens, three specimens of H. rugosula, and three of H. stolonifera. a) intron and gene rpl16. b) intron rps4-trnS. c) intron trnL-trnF. Gray color refer to nucleobases common to all specimens; pink – adenine; blue – cytosine; yellow – guanine; green – thymine.

In our alignment of the intron rps4-trnS, Hypolepis rugosula has several mutations unique to it, including an insertion of TAAGC at positions 219 to 223. At position 185, H. ×paulistana and H. stolonifera share a thymine, whereas the other species have a cytosine. At positions 452 to 455, H. ×paulistana and H. stolonifera share the sequence of four guanines, whereas in H. rigescens this sequence is formed by GGAG, and in H. rugosula, by TGGA.

Finally, in our intron trnL-trnF alignment, Hypolepis rugosula has also several unique mutations to it, and two conspicuous insertions at positions 71 to 77 and at 191 to 205. Hypolepis ×paulistana and H. stolonifera share an insertion of an adenine at position 17 (lacking in the other two species), and a guanine at position 116 (adenine in H. rigescens; thymine in H. rugosula).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The presence of both morphological intermediacy and abnormal spores support the hybrid status of Hypolepis ×paulistana. The similar size of the spores in comparison to other diploid species of Hypolepis suggests that it is formed from diploid parents. The high percentage of abnormal spores supports the conclusion that H. ×paulistana is, infertile, occasional hybrid—perhaps produced only once—and probably incapable of reproducing sexually itself.

The “normal” spores of Hypolepis ×paulistana have similar ornamentation compared to Hypolepis stolonifera. The surface of spores in both species shows echinae and knife-like elements, distributed at random and connected by branched threads. In relation to the size of the spores, the polar diameter in H. ×paulistana is intermediate between H. stolonifera and H. rugosula, while the equatorial diameters are slightly smaller in the hybrid. The hybrid has the form of distal pole (from convex to subconical) more variable than the parent species.

Different diameters and forms of the Hypolepis ×paulistana “abnormal” spores were found, which vary from spherical to collapse. Taylor et al. (1985)TAYLOR WC, LUEBKE NT & SMITH MB. 1985. Speciation and hybridisation in North American quillworts. Proc R Soc Edinb Section B Biol Sci 86: 259-263. and Wagner et al. (1986)WAGNER WH, WAGNER FS & TAYLOR WC. 1986. Detecting abortive spores in herbarium specimens of sterile hybrids. Am Fern J 76(3): 129-140. have discussed that spores of hybrid origin tend to display high variability in size, shapes, and in the relation between protoplast/wall. These differences, as well as the presence of dyads or tetrads also formed by Hypolepis ×paulistana, could be due to an unequal chromosomal number of the sister spores (Wagner & Boydston 1958WAGNER WH & BOYDSTON KE. 1958. A new hybrid Spleenwort from artificial cultures at fernwood and its relationships to a peculiar plant from West Virginia. Am Fern J 48(4): 146-159.) and modifications in the meiotic division of the spore stem cells (Hickok & Klekowski 1973HICKOK LG & KLEKOWSKI EJ. 1973. Abnormal reductional and nonreductional meiosis in Ceratopteris: alternatives to homozygosity and hybrid sterility in homosporous ferns. Am J Bot 60(10): 1010-1022.). Likewise, alterations in the meiotic process were related to the production of spheroidal “giant spores” (DeBenedictus 1969DEBENEDICTUS VMM. 1969. Apomixis in ferns with special reference to sterile hybrids, Michigan: University of Michigan, 203 p.) as those observed for Hypolepis ×paulistana.

Additionally, other traits observed in Hypolepis ×paulistana “abnormal” spores were associated with hybridization events, such as massive perisporal development in collapsed spores (Wagner 1968WAGNER WH. 1968. Hybridization, taxonomy, and evolution. In: Heywood VH (Ed), Modern methods in plant taxonomy, Londres: Academic Press, p. 113-138., 1980), laesurae abnormalities (Brown 1960BROWN CA. 1960. What is the role of spores in fern taxonomy? Am Fern J 50(1): 6-14., Erdtman 1958ERDTMAN G. 1958. Pollen and Spore Morphology, Plant Taxonomy: Gymnospermae, Pteridophyta, Bryophyta, Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 451 p., Erdtman & Praglowski 1959ERDTMAN G & PRAGLOWSKI JR. 1959. Six notes on pollen morphology and pollen morphological techniques. Bot Not 112: 175-184., Wagner 1974WAGNER WH. 1974. Structure of spores in relation to fern phylogeny. Ann Missouri Bot Gard 61: 322-353.), and small amorphous bodies of perisporic material interspersed within the sporangium (Wagner & Boydston 1958WAGNER WH & BOYDSTON KE. 1958. A new hybrid Spleenwort from artificial cultures at fernwood and its relationships to a peculiar plant from West Virginia. Am Fern J 48(4): 146-159., Wagner & Chen 1965WAGNER WH & CHEN KL. 1965. Abortion of spores and sporangia as a tool in the detection of Dryopteris hybrids. Am Fern J 55: 9-29., Wagner et al. 1986WAGNER WH, WAGNER FS & TAYLOR WC. 1986. Detecting abortive spores in herbarium specimens of sterile hybrids. Am Fern J 76(3): 129-140.)

The diversity of anomalies observed in the spores of Hypolepis ×paulistana and the similarities found with previous studies carried out in other taxa provide new evidence about the hybrid origin of the species. Further corroboration from cytological studies would be valuable, since other environmental and genetic factors have been known to cause alterations in the production of spores (Kanamori 1969KANAMORI K. 1969. Studies on the sterility and size variation of spores in some species of Japanese Dryopteris. J Jap Bot 44(7): 207-217., Wagner 1974WAGNER WH. 1974. Structure of spores in relation to fern phylogeny. Ann Missouri Bot Gard 61: 322-353., 1986). Finally, the cpDNA comparison and the phylogenetic position of H. ×paulistana alongside H. stolonifera, far away from H. rugosula and H. rigescens are evidences that suggest H. stolonifera as the maternal progenitor of H. ×paulistana. The paternal inheritance is still only suggested by morphological data (i.e., presence of glandular hairs) and habitat preference (i.e., elevation), pending further molecular investigation.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

AY is thankful to her PhD supervisor, Dr. Marta Morbelli, Chair of Palynology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum (UNLP), for advising us during the analysis of results. She is also indebted to Fabian Tricarico from the Microscopy Service of Natural Science Argentine Museum “Bernardino Rivadavia” and Rafael Urrejola from the Microscopy Service of Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum (La Plata) for their good predisposition during observation with SEM. Finally, AY thanks Laura Aito, Weston L. Testo, Ignacio Escapa and Michael Sundue for their help with the English translation, and the last three for their comments about the content of the manuscript. PBS thanks Raquel Santana for help with field work, Michael Sundue and David Barrington for support while doing lab work, the University of Vermont for providing resources and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil) (grant n. 204998/2017–4, for the Post-Doc grant). The authors thank the valuable comments made by the reviewers.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    21 Nov 2022
  • Date of issue
    2022

History

  • Received
    27 Dec 2020
  • Accepted
    15 Feb 2022
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