Population structure and conservation biology of the endangered
fern Source: Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume
66, Number 3, 1 March 1999 , pp. 333-344(12) Abstract:Genetic
diversity in the Killarney fern, Trichomanes speciosum Willd.
has been investigated in south-western Scotland, the northern-
most limit of the distribution of the sporophyte. T. speciosum
is unique amongst European pteridophytes in that both phases of
the life cycle are perennial and capable of vegetative
propagation. Within sites no variation was revealed by allozyme
electrophoresis, even where both generations were growing
together. In contrast, diversity was observed among sites, with
seven different multilocus phenotypes (MLPs) present in the
area. Two of these MLPs covered large areas while the others
were restricted to one, or few localities. Asexual reproduction
of the gametophyte via gemmae is assumed to be the main means of
dispersal in recent times, allowing single clones to become
widespread, while the overall gen