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Quillwort

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	Quillwort
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	Topics Quillwort Topic Home *Isoëtes, commonly known as the Quillworts, is the genus of plants in the class IsoetopsidaIsoetopsida The Isoetopsida* is a class of the Lycopodiophyta.... and order Isoetales. The order Isoetales is sometimes placed in the class Isoetopsida, sometimes in the Selaginellopsida or Lycopsida. They are considered "fern alliesFern ally Fern ally is a general term covering a somewhat diverse group of vascular plants that are not flowering plants and not true ... ". There are about 140-150 species, with a cosmopolitan distributionCosmopolitan distribution A cosmopolitan distribution is a term applied to a biological category of living things meaning that this category can be ... but often scarce to rare. Some botanists split the genus, separating two South American species into the genus Stylites. Quillworts are mostly aquatic or semi-aquatic in clear ponds and slow-moving streams, though several (e.g. I. histrix, I. nuttallii) grow on wet ground that dries out in the summer. Quillwort leavesLeaf Overview In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis.... are hollow and quill-like, arising from a central cormCorm A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground stem of a plant that serves as a storage organ to enable the plant to survi... . Each leaf is narrow, 2-20 cm long (exceptionally up to 100 cm) and 0.5-3 mm wide; they can be either evergreenEvergreen In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that retains its leaves all year round, with each leaf persisting for more than 12 ... , winter deciduousDeciduous Deciduous means "temporary" or "tending to fall off" .... , or dry-season deciduous. They broaden to a swollen base up to 5 mm wide where they attach in clusters to a bulb-like, underground rhizomeRhizome A rhizome is, in botany, a usually underground, horizontal stem of a plant that often sends out roots and shoots from its no... characteristic of most quillwort species, though a few (e.g. I. tegetiformans) form spreading mats. This swollen base also contains male and female sproangia, protected by a thin, transparent covering, which is used diagnostically to help identify quillwort species. They are heterosporousSpore In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersion and surviving for extended periods of time in... . Quillwort species are very difficult to distinguish by general appearance. The best way to identify them is by examining the megaspores under a microscope. Selected species Isoetes alpina New Zealand Quillwort Isoetes andicola Isoetes appalachianaIsoetes appalachiana *Isoetes appalachiana, commonly known as the Appalachian quillwort* , is an aquatic pteridophyte that is widely dist... Appalachian Quillwort Isoetes brochonii Pyreneean Quillwort Isoetes durieui Durieu's Quillwort Isoetes echinospora Spring Quillwort Isoetes engelmanniiIsoetes engelmannii *Isoetes engelmannii, commonly known as Engelmann's quillwort* or Appalachian quillwort , is an aquatic pterid... Engelmann's Quillwort Isoetes flaccida Southern Quillwort Isoetes gemmifera (syn. Stylites gemmifera) Isoetes histrixIsoetes histrix *Isoetes histrix* is a quillwort native to the Mediterranean region, northwestern Africa, and the coasts of western Europe... Land Quillwort Isoetes lacustrisIsoetes lacustris Summary *Isoetes lacustris* is a boreal Quillwort Lycopodiaphyte.... Lake Quillwort Isoetes louisianensis Louisiana Quillwort Isoetes melanosporaIsoetes melanospora *Isoetes melanospora, commonly known as black-spored quillwort* or black-spored Merlin's grass, is an aquatic ... Black-spored Quillwort Isoetes nuttallii Nuttall's Quillwort Isoetes tegetiformansIsoetes tegetiformans *Isoetes tegetiformans, commonly known as mat-forming quillwort* or mat-forming Merlin's grass, is an aquatic ... Mat-forming Quillwort Isoetes tenella Spiny Spore Quillwort Isoetes tenuissima French Quillwort Isoetes validaIsoetes valida *Isoetes valida, commonly known as the strong quillwort* or true quillwort, is an aquatic pteridophyte native ... Strong Quillwort Many species, such as the Louisiana Quillwort and the Mat-forming Quillwort, are Endangered speciesEndangered species Summary An endangered species is a population of organisms , which because it is either few in number or threatened by changing en... . Several species of Isoetes are commonly called Merlin's grass, especially I. lacustrisIsoetes lacustris *Isoetes lacustris* is a boreal Quillwort Lycopodiaphyte.... , but also the endagered species I. tegetiformans and I. virginica. Quillworts are considered by some to be the last remnant of the fossilFossil Summary Fossils are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms.... tree LepidodendronFacts About Lepidodendron *Lepidodendron* is an extinct genus of primitive, vascular, arborescent plant related to the Lycopsids.... with which they share some unusual features including the development of both wood and bark, a modified shoot system acting as roots, bipolar growth, and an upright stance. External links