SPORE MORPHOLOGY OF SOME BRYOPHYTA IN EGYPT

In this work, spore morphology of eight species, Tortula muralis, Tortula brevissima, Aloina brevirostris, Syntrichia leavipila, Microbryum clavallianum (Pottiaceae); Funaria hygrometrica, Entosthodon muhlenbergii, Entosthodon attenuates (Funariaceae); were examined by Light microscopy (LM) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All spores are small; the length of polar axis is between 7.5 ?m and 18.5 ?m, equatorial diameter is between 10.5 ?m and 27 ?m. The smallest spores of them are Tortula brevissima and the biggest spores of them are Entosthodon attenuates. The shapes of the spores are determined as suboblate for Tortula muralis, Aloina brevirostris, Syntrichia leavipila, and oblate for Tortula brevissima, Funaria muhlenbergii, Funaria hygrometrica, Entosthodon attenuates. The ornamentation observed can be regulate, verrucate- regulate, baculate, verrucate, clavate- foveolate, clavate, foveolate- psilate on the distal pole, spore ornamentation of the proximal face is different or less complex than the distal face. We can concluded that the spore ultrastructure give important role for identification and taxonomic significant.