Elater

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Elater

"Elaters" is also used as a common name for the Elateridae (click beetles). For the click beetle genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
, see Elater (beetle).

An elater is a cell

Cell (biology)

The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known Life organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building bricks of life....
(or structure attached to a cell) that is hygroscopic, and therefore will change shape in response to changes in moisture

Humidity

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean relative humidity. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a Air parcel of air to the saturated vapor pressure of water vapor at a prescribed temperature....
in the environment

Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical factors of the environment....
. Elaters come in a variety of forms, but are always associated with plant

Plant

Plants are Life organisms belonging to the Kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae....
spore

Spore

In biology, a spore is a reproduction structure that is adapted for biological dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions....
s. In plants that do not have seeds, they function in dispersing the spores to a new location.

Horsetail

Horsetail

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Horsetail
Horsetail

Equisetum is the only living genus in the Equisetaceae, a family of vascular plants that reproduce by spores rather than seeds. They are commonly known as horsetails....
elaters

In the horsetail

Horsetail

Equisetum is the only living genus in the Equisetaceae, a family of vascular plants that reproduce by spores rather than seeds. They are commonly known as horsetails....
s, elaters are four ribbon-like appendages attached to the spores. These appendages develop from an outer spiral layer of the spore wall. At maturity, the four strips peel away from the inner wall, except at a single point on the spore where all four strips are attached.

Under moist conditions, the elaters curl tightly around the spore. The wet spores tend to stick to each other and to nearby surfaces because of surface tension

Surface tension

Surface tension is an attractive property of the surface of a liquid. It is what causes the surface portion of liquid to be attracted to another surface, such as that of another portion of liquid ....
. When conditions are dry, the spores no longer stick to each other and are more easily dispersed. At that time, the elaters uncoil to extend out from the spore and will catch air currents. The fact that they are extended only when conditions are dry means that successful spore dispersal is more likely.

Liverwort elaters

In the liverworts, elaters are cells that develop in the sporophyte

Sporophyte

All land plants, and some algae, have life cycles in which a haploid gametophyte generation alternates with a diploid sporophyte, the generation of a plant or alga that has a double set of chromosomes....
alongside the spore

Spore

In biology, a spore is a reproduction structure that is adapted for biological dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions....
s. They are complete cells, usually with helical thickenings at maturity that respond to moisture content.

In most liverworts, the elaters are unattached, but in some leafy species (such as Frullania
Frullania

Frullania is a genus of liverwort in family Jubulaceae. It contains the following species:a*Frullania aculeata TAYLOR 1846*Frullania acutata CASPARY 1887...
) a few elaters will remain attached to the inside of the sporangium

Sporangium

A sporangium is a plant or fungus structure producing and containing spores. Sporangia occur in Flowering plant, gymnosperms, ferns, fern allies, bryophytes, Algaee, and Fungus....
(spore capsule).

Hornwort
Hornwort

Hornworts are a group of bryophytes, or non-vascular plants, comprising the division Anthocerotophyta. The common name refers to the elongated horn-like structure, which is the sporophyte....
pseudo-elaters

In the hornwort

Hornwort

Hornworts are a group of bryophytes, or non-vascular plants, comprising the division Anthocerotophyta. The common name refers to the elongated horn-like structure, which is the sporophyte....
s, elaters are branched clusters of cells that develop in the sporophyte

Sporophyte

Spore

Elater

HorsetailHorsetailEquisetum is the only living genus in the Equisetaceae, a family of vascular plants that reproduce by spores rather than seeds. They are commonly known as horsetails.... elaters

Liverwort elaters

HornwortHornwortHornworts are a group of bryophytes, or non-vascular plants, comprising the division Anthocerotophyta. The common name refers to the elongated horn-like structure, which is the sporophyte.... pseudo-elaters

Horsetail
Horsetail

Equisetum is the only living genus in the Equisetaceae, a family of vascular plants that reproduce by spores rather than seeds. They are commonly known as horsetails....
elaters

Hornwort
Hornwort

Hornworts are a group of bryophytes, or non-vascular plants, comprising the division Anthocerotophyta. The common name refers to the elongated horn-like structure, which is the sporophyte....
pseudo-elaters