An occurrence of gametophytes of Equisetum in Cheboygan County, Michigan

TitleAn occurrence of gametophytes of Equisetum in Cheboygan County, Michigan
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication1949
AuthorsFeigley M
JournalAmerican Fern Journal
Volume39
Pagination106-109
KeywordsVASCULAR PLANTS
Abstract

While exploring a hardwoods area on Colonial Point on the shore of Burt Lake, Cheboygan County, Michigan, in July, 1948, numerous gametophytes of horsetail were found along the roadside. Since the reports of gametophytes of Equisetum growing under natural conditions are rather infrequent, another record of their occurrence should be of interest. The Colonial Point Hardwoods represents a maple-beech forest climax area. It is only recently that the road shown in Figure 1 was cut through in connection with lumbering operations, and it was in this area that the plants were found. Most of the gametophytes were growing on the compact soil of the vertical walls of the roadside ditch and on the new "shoulder" of the road. Upon returning to the University of Michigan Biological Station in the summer of 1949, I visited the area where the gametophytes of Equisetum were found in the summer of 1948. Numerous sporophytes of Equisetum scirpoides were growing in the place where the gametophytes were found the previous summer. It can be assumed then that the gametophytes discussed in this paper were those of Equisetum scirpoides. Miss Walker (1937) reported gametophytes of Equisetum scirpoides from Reese’s Bog at the norther end of Burt Lake. Reese’s Bog is about 2.5 miles from the Colonial Point area.