Cibotium glaucum spore germination

[John2468]

Hello everyone, I received some spores a month ago from @quaman58 and @realarch. This is my process of sowing these spores. 
 

First, I put one frond on a piece of paper with the spore side down. I continued this with the other fronds. I left it in a cool, dark place until the spores release from the fronds.  

Second, I separated the spore casings from the spores with a folded piece of paper. I gently tap the paper until the casing fall off. The spores should have a dust-like appearance.

 

Third, I used a microwaveable food container and filled it with pure peat. I didn’t add drainage holes or ventilation holes to prevent contamination. I moistened the peat with distilled water and microwaved for 5 minutes or whenever it steams to sterilize the media. The peat should be moist to the touch and not sopping. Let the peat cool overnight with the lid on.

 

Fourth, I sprinkled the spores evenly on the surface making sure to not to sow too much or too little. You should be able to barely see a faint of orange on surface. I then placed the containers in a shaded location with temps ranging from 70f to 80f.

 

Around a month later every container started showing signs of mossy growth. These are the gametophytes, which is the first stage of growth.

 

That’s all for now, will update until more happens.

[John2468]

Update: 

[quaman58]

Whoa, that was fast John.. Nice!

[quaman58]

So I have a stupid question: it looks like moss at the moment. When do individual plants start emerging? Does a bunch of them coalesce into a single organism?  

[John2468]

Not a stupid question. Spore germination is quite an intricate process involving many steps. To put into simple terms each individual spore will produce what’s known as a gametophyte. A gametophyte is basically a heart shaped leaf containing male organs on the top and female organs on its underside. Once the gametophyte has matured, the male organs will start releasing sperm which will swim to the underside of the leaf where the female organs are, or on other gametophytes. Once fertilized, it will reach the sporophyte stage. This is when the first true frond will emerge. Some examples: 

So what you’re seeing right now are the early stages of gametophyte development. There are thousands of individual plant crowded together and will compete with each other for light and space. This carpet of moss will eventually thin themselves out leaving the strongest to survive.

[quaman58]

Now that was a superb explanation Jon. I had no idea; I just figured that spores acted the same as seeds. Life is incredible..