Carolina C-FERN Express Extended Culture - Manual (Page 3)

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accelerate maturation yet limit growth. As the medium dries over the weeks,
add small amounts of water. Avoid adding more water than can be
absorbed by the agar.
Monitor the sporophytes weekly for developmental changes in the leaves,
from vegetative leaves (round or oval) to fertile leaves (more finely dissected
with narrow lobes). After a few weeks, the edges of the fertile leaves will roll
inward. Subsequently, you may observe several round sporangia within and
along the length of the rolled edges (use a 10
× hand lens or microscope).
Meiotic division will produce spores, which mature over the next few weeks
until the sporangia and spores turn brown. Spore maturity is indicated by a
distinct brown line on the underside of the leaf. Harvest mature spores by
C-FERN Express 22-day-old sporophytes.