Goldback fern chromosomes!
Under Alan Smith‘s tutelage, over the last few weeks I (Keir) have been learning the science and art of meiotic chromosome counting; from selecting and harvesting material at the right stage (it is so easy to catch sporangia just a little too late) to getting the right combination of blotting, tapping, and pressing, I have learned so much AND had some excellent luck! I also feel super lucky to have access to irrigated material at this time of year from Regional Parks Botanic Garden (up at Tilden)!
Today Alan and I counted our first Pentagramma tetraploid (2n = 60II)! It was identified as P. viscosa, but it looks more like a P. triangularis to me…
…we’ll see upon closer inspection what the subgenomes have to say for themselves.
sweet!!!!