Some aspects of morphology, branching of rhizome and crozier uncoiling phenomenon in Osumunda regalis L.

摘要

Based on the observations on central Himalayan populations of Osmunda regalis, the slow growing rhizome of the royal fern is described as plagiotropic. Formation of occasional offshoot which is always smaller than the main branch has been considered a result of change of undetermined leaf primordium into the stem primordium and that it is not the result of a dichotomy. Emergence of fertile fronds precedes that of the vegetative ones. The later are long lasting whereas the lateral pinnae of the fertile fronds abscise soon after maturation, however, both arise from the primordium in the form of a characteristic filicinean fiddle head. The crozier of the fertile frond is strikingly tomentose, the tomentum persists till the first par of basal fertile pinnae come out from the crozier. It is concluded that the tomentum protects the coiled apex of the fertile frond from unfavorable atmospheric cold and also delays the process of expansion of the lamina.