FIGURE 19 in Disentangling the diversity and taxonomy of Hymenophyllaceae (Hymenophyllales, Polypodiidae) in the Mascarene archipelago, with ecological implications

FIGURE 19. Importance of gametophyte ecology and biology for the sporophyte settlement on distant islands according to Dassler & Farrar's (2001) hypothesis. The long-lived and colonial epiphytic gametophytes (above) would have the possibilities to realize fertilization many seasons/years (T) after the spore germination, whereas short-lived and non-colonial terrestrial gametophytes (below) would fail in realizing the fertilization if they are not close enough, and die at the end of the season (red crosses). Hence, the epiphytic taxa with longlived and colonial gametophytes would have a higher probability of establishment than terrestrial taxa. Hymenophyllaceae and the genus Ctenitis (Dryopteridaceae) illustrate such contrasts in the Mascarene archipelago, explaining the difference in the level of endemicity (see text for an in-depth discussion).