The Ecology of Chondrus Crispus at Plymouth, Massachusetts. I. Ontogeny, Vegetative Anatomy, Reproduction, and Life Cycle

Carpospores and tetraspores germinate and the germlings develop similarly. A prostrate holdfast of regular or irregular outline is formed if the spore makes direct contact with the substrate. If not, rhizoids grow from the few‐celled germling unilaterally in no apparent relation to light or gravity, forming a prostrate holdfast if they encounter a solid substrate, and, in any case, eventually an erect shoot of different anatomy. Tetrasporophytes have been grown to reproductive maturity from single spore cultures in the laboratory. The ontogeny of the procarp and subsequent postfertilization events are described from field material. Only a single putative male plant was found when plants bearing procarps were numerous at Plymouth. Evidence from this study and from other reported observations places in doubt the expected role of fertilization in the diphasic, cytological alternation of Chondrus .