Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Biodiversity
Conservatory & Botanical Garden of the City of Geneva

Responsables: Michelle J. Price and Fred W. Stauffer (CJBG)

Collaborator: Mathilde Ruche (PhD candidate, UniGE & CJBG)

Duration: 1.5 years

The peristome in mosses, a structure that plays a key role in the dispersal of spores, is one of the most complex morphological features found in this group of plants. Development patterns of the peristome in mosses have been widely studied at higher taxonomic levels but are much less frequently examined at the generic or species levels. As part of an ongoing PhD research project on peristome architecture in the Dicranidae, this Masters project will investigate the developmental sequence of the peristome in the reference species Dicranum scoparium Hedw. Samples from herbarium specimens and freshly collected material will be used to trace the development of peristomes in this species, from immature through to mature capsules, with the aim of establishing and understanding peristome formation patterns so that they can then be used as a reference within the context of the larger research project. Different preparation (longitudinal and horizontal sections) and visualisation (microscopy and SEM) techniques will be used to explore peristome development.