Propagating Radula Marginata

[CβL]

So I decided I'm going to propagate this elusive liverwort, to see if it can be done. To test my mettle. For the colony!

Radula Marginata is a liverwort, a member of the class of bryophytes (plants that lack lignin-containing vascular tissue, this is more of a morphological relation than a genetic one).

In terms of reproduction, at this stage I'm just interested in asexual reproduction:

Asexual reproduction

Some liverworts are capable of asexual reproduction; in bryophytes in general "it would almost be true to say that vegetative reproduction is the rule and not the exception."^[19] For example in Riccia, when the older parts of the forked thalli die, the younger tips become separate individuals

http://www.anbg.gov.au/bryophyte/vegetative-reproduction.html


This thread is for all advice and questions too. I'm just putting it up as a template for now.

Reproduction

Radula Marginata is probably dioecous (having both male and female parts to reproduce sexually). Radula Marginata has a perianth. http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_74/rsnz_74_03_003750.pdf

In liverworts (Marchantiophyta), the perianth is the sterile tubelike tissue that surrounds the female reproductive structure (or developing sporophyte).

Many liverworts reproduce through gemmae: The production of gemmae is a widespread means of asexual reproduction in both liverworts and mosses. In liverworts such as Marchantia, the flattened plant body or thallus is a haploid gametophyte with gemma cups scattered about its upper surface. The gemma cups are cup-like structures containing gemmae. The gemmae are small discs of haploid tissue, and they directly give rise to new gametophytes. They are dispersed from gemma cups by rainfall.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemma_%28botany%29

Radula Marginata is not known produce gemmae I believe. A related class of liverworts does sometimes, and they are the same shape as the leaves apparently: http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=kQ8bAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA31&lpg=PA31&dq=jungermannia+gemmae&source=bl&ots=sS1SYFL26Q&sig=V2xZQI0rxg8MZElyTKuj0_FgMAI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=n3vKUeKwBsr-lAWlgIGoDw&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=jungermannia%20gemmae&f=false

This liverwort (Riccia sp.) reproduces asexually without the usage of gemmae:

Cultivation

Unfortunately nobody seems to have had much hand at cultivating this guy. I'm thinking that a moss (moss are bryophytes) technique with modification would be applicable. I have read a few moss tutorials. This type of technique would be ideal. I would love to figure out if RM can be cultivated this way too, or if not why not:

How to Get Moss to Grow on Rocks, Bricks or PotsIt’s a little harder to start moss on a rock by simply lifting it and moving it. To grow moss on rocks, bricks or pots, many people have luck cultivating moss by mixing it with buttermilk and painting it on the new surface.

Moss Making Recipe:

• 2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups of chopped-up moss (Fresh or Dried)

Mix until creamy and spreadable. If the mixture is too thick, add a small amount of water. If it’s too thin, add more moss.

Paint the mixture onto the new surface. You can allow the mixture to sit for a day or two, to start the process. You may get mold first, but by about week 6 you should see signs of moss.

Maintaining Moss

To keep your moss growing well, you need to maintain ideal moss conditions: shade, moisture and a low soil pH. You’ll also need to keep the weeds out. Moss can’t compete for moisture with the roots of weeds.

http://gardening.about.com/od/gardendesign/qt/How-To-Grow-Moss.htm



I'm thinking that moss is a lot more hardy, while Radula is not. It's found in very shady areas, and the dark green of it suggests so (as a rule of thumb, the darker green a leafy plant, the more shade it prefers). I think that a fogger would be an ideal way to keep the humidity levels under control. I found this: http://www.hollywoodfishfarm.co.nz/detail/view/reptile-one-terrarium-fogger/m/1050/
Some research will determine if it's a good way to go. Some research has just been completed, and I've determined that a piezo fogger will not be a substitute for misting. I want to find/make an automatic misting system so I can just leave the tank alone. Bah - I had really hoped that a fogger would work.
I'm thinking to run: 1) Misting system (runs on a timer, so twice a day or so, a fine mist sprays every surface 2) An air-transfer system that forces the tanks air to partially evacuate for a few seconds every half hour or so (two computer fans [intake and exhaust fan] built into the lid should do it). The air going stagnant will probably be a quick end to any experiment with this Radula I imagine (I might try some in an enclosed tank anyway to see if it can handle it). Might need to make up a controller using raspberryPy or whatever the kids use instead of PIC chips these days.

Edited June 26, 2013 by CβL

[Darklight]

I'm excited for you! Let us know how it goes!

[CβL]

New informations (twice):

Dioicous is not equal to dioecous (thought it was just archaic spelling from a 70 year old paper) - the terms are analogous however, with dioecous applying to flowering plants and dioicous almost exclusively to bryophytes. But Radula Marginata is able to grow a perianth, which suggests that it still requires both male and female plants for sexual reproduction (as per the definition of dioicous).

Edited July 3, 2013 by CβL

[chronic]

Here in Europe, Radula complanata is the psychoactive moss, with the cannabinoid Perrottetinene. The moss is a hermaphrodite.
My reasoning is that it can be pulled on Murashige and Skoog.
Alternatively, maybe after this non steril method, for smaller quantities, for orchids as shown on this austrian page.
http://www.orchideenvermehrung.at/english/index.htm
See Seed germination- Germination on bark.

Other Perrottetin contained mosses is radula perrottetii from Japan and radula laxiramea from central America.

Interestingly, is the japanese fern Hymenophyllum barbatum Perrottetin H contains. It is assumed that is Perrottetin H psychoactiv.

http://eol.org/pages/604294/overview

1994: Toyota M., Kinugawa T., Asakawa Y.: "Bibenzyl Cannabinoid and Bisbibenzyl Derivative from the Liverwort Radula perrottetii.", Phytochemistry: 37(3): S. 859-862, 1994. (Wikipedia)

2002: Toyota M., Shimamura T., Ishii H., Renner M., Braggins J., Asakawa Y.: "New bibenzyl cannabinoid from the New Zealand liverwort Radula marginata.", Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin: Tokyo, Oct., 50(10): S. 1390-2, 2002. (Wikipedia)

2008: Song Y., Hwang S., Gong P., Kim D., Kim S.: "Stereoselective total synthesis of (-)-perrottetinene and assignment of its absolute configuration.", Organic Letters., Jan. 17, 10(2): S. 269-71, 2008. (Wikipedia)

2712 Bull. Korean Chem. Soc. 2010, Vol. 31, No. 9 Notes
DOI 10.5012/bkcs.2010.31.9.2712
Concise Synthesis of (±)-Perrottetinene with Bibenzyl Cannabinoid
Byung Ho Park and Yong Rok Lee*

Edited June 30, 2013 by pan

[Darklight]

Here in Europe, Radula complanata is the psychoactive moss, with the cannabinoid Perrottetinene. The moss is a hermaphrodite.

My reasoning is that it can be pulled on Murashige and Skoog.

I'm drooling over my keyboard on this, you know that don't you Even the big words I don't understand look sexy.

[shonman]

Has anyone done a bioassay of this plant?

Wikipedia says

" it is thought that perrottetinene may also be an active cannabinoid agonist

although detailed pharmacological investigation of the compound has yet to be reported."

Here is one I found online...

http://67-20-83-245.bluehost.com/forums/showthread.php?1943-Radula-Marginata-(Perrottetinene)

Edited July 6, 2013 by shonman

[shonman]

From the post 'Silly molecules"

...'small breasted dog'

"Yes, it really is called that, but in Spanish! The molecule is actually named 'Perrottetin-a' which (almost) literally means "small-breasted-dog" (Perro=dog, tetita=small breast). The molecule gets its name from the liverwort plant from whence it is extracted, Hepatica Radula perrottetii, which itself was named after the botanist George Samuel Perrottet (1793-1870). There is another related compound, perrottetinene, which is structurally similar to THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. Maybe this molecule should be called 'stoned small-breasted dog'!"

[CβL]

http://educlera.blogspot.co.nz/2011/09/bryophyta-hepaticae-jungermanniales.html

Possibly the densest wall of text I've ever forced myself to read in a while, but actually got some good knowledge out of it. Sexual reproduction might actually be an option after reading this page. The spores take months to develop for this related species (thought it would be a lot shorter), but the spores contain chlorophyll and begin growing as soon as they are released. If this is the case, then preparing a spore solution and then inoculating a growing media could give excellent results in the long term. I had discounted spores because I thought they were quite difficult to grow from plants (I have fuzzy memories of collecting fern spores when I was a wee lad... certainly don't remember getting any ferns growing from that way).