Cytological information is absolutely lacking for the Iranian moss flora (Bryophytes). The present research, dealing with cytological studies on the following five species (including two expressions and one variety) of Iranian mosses, namely, Amblystegium riparium (Hedw.) B.S.G. “brevipes” expression(n=20), A. riparium (Hedw.) B.S.G. “pennellii” expression (n=9, 9+m, 9+2m), A. serpens (Hedw.) B...

The presence of organic compounds and high amount of secondary metabolites (polysaccharides, phenolic component, etc.) in mosses cause difficulties in DNA extraction that are followed by problems in PCR reactions. In lower plants, various methods have been used for DNA extraction including silica gel and different commercial kits. These methods mostly use hazardous (like phenol or liquid nitrog...

This paper recapitulates Polish botanical and mycological research on terres− trial and freshwater Antarctic ecosystems carried out between 1977 and 2009. The main results are briefly summarized. The references encompass nearly 200 papers on floristics, taxonomy, biogeography, ecology, cytology, biochemistry, physiology and genetics of li− chens, mosses, fungi, algae and vascular plants inhabit...

Mosses (Musci, Bryophytaea) are one of the oldest groups of land plants present among the earth’s flora. They originated 500 million years ago (for a recent discussion of the time scale involved, see Heckman et al., 2001) and are currently represented by approximately 10,000 species that colonize diverse habitats that range from high mountains to deep forests and from Antarctica to deserts. Evo...

Background: Analyses of complete genomes and large collections of gene transcripts have shown that most, if not all seed plants have undergone one or more genome duplications in their evolutionary past. Results: In this study, based on a large collection of EST sequences, we provide evidence that the haploid moss Physcomitrella patens is a paleopolyploid as well. Based on the construction of li...

A latitudinal gradient of decreasing species diversity from the tropics toward the poles is considered to be one of the few truly general patterns in biogeography and ecology (Rosenzweig, 1995). As a result, a voluminous body of literature has accumulated over the last 30 years, dedicated to explaining the basis of the latitudinal gradient (Rohde, 1992). Substantial progress has been made towar...

Arabidopsis and other species, this work has also begun to reveal the levels of evolutionary conservation within the flowering plants and even outside the plant kingdom. What does the future hold for Antirrhinum research? In addition to its continuing role as a genetic model for plant biology and development, several new experimental avenues are beginning to be explored with Antirrhinum. A majo...

Bryophytes are the first lands plants that include three distinct lineages: mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. They differ primarily from the flowering plants by lacking roots, flowers, seeds, and a defined system of tissues for transporting fluids throughout the plant. Bryophytes reproduce not by seeds, but rather, single-celled spores. Many bryophytes can also form new plants by vegetative me...