Morphological characteristics, population density and physico-edaphic requirements of davalla in Mt. Makiling, Mt. Cristobal, Mt. Halcon and Mt. Palay by Raul George T. Cardenas

Thesis (B.S.A.--Horticulture) Cavite State University

Includes bibliographical references.

College of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Natural Resources (CAFENR)

CARDENAS, RAUL GEORGE T. Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite, March 2000. "Morphological Characteristics, Population Density and Physico-Edaphic Requirements of Davallia (Davallia solida) In Mt. Makiling, Mt. Cristobal, Mt. Halcon and Mt. Palay-palay." Thesis Adviser: Dr. Adolfo C. Manuel, Jr.
A study on the morphological characteristics, population density, physico-edaphic requirements of Davallia solida in Mt Makiling, Los Banos, Laguna; Mt. Cristobal, Dolores, Quezon; Mt. Halcon, Baco, Oriental Mindoro; and Mt. Palay-palay, Maragondon, Cavite was conducted from December 1999 to February 2000.
The climatic requirements of the fern namely, temperature, elevation, light intensity, and soil type were observed and their variations in the four sites recorded. With a slight difference, lower temperatures were observed in Mt. Makiling and Cristobal, 18°C- 23°C and 18°C — 24°C, respectively. Mt. Halcon followed next with 22°C — 26°C, and Mt. Palay-palay, 24°C — 28°C. Generally, the data showed that the fern grow in relatively lower temperature.
In terms of elevation, it was thriving in altitudes with high variation — from a low 25 m below sea level to a high of 1,000 m. However, this finding is limited because the author reached only an elevation up to 1000 m although two of the sites studied, Mt. Makiling and Mt. Halcon, have maximum elevations of 1,400 m and 2,582 m respectively. The soil types in the plant's natural habitat ranged from sandy loam to silty loam. The soil type, however, was found to have no effect on the fern's growth since D. solida is epiphytic. They were found to cling to rocks and trees with some humus and so it moss added to their roots.
The plant has the following morphological characteristics: frond- bipinnate and tri-pinnately lobed. The color was observed from yellow green to dark green. In all four site the fronds were found to have dark green color. However, the yellow green color of fronds was observed only in Mt. Cristobal. The length ranged from 15 cm to 60 cm. The shortest frond of 15 cm was measured in Mt. Cristobal while the longest was found in Mt. Makiling. The broadness ranged from 14 cm to 35 cm with the widest frond measured in Mt. Halcon and the narrowest was measured in Mt. Palay-palay and Mt. Halcon. The rhizome is thick, branched, fleshy and densely covered with fine chestnut-colored scales. Some of the scales were observed to be white and fur-like. The length of the rhizome ran and ranged from two cm to 40 cm. The shortest rhizome was measured in Mt. Palay-palay the longest in Mt. Makiling. The roots are chocolate brown, fine, fibrous, and meshed; the son are cylindrical with cup-shaped indusium that opens outwards. The sori are cylindrical least population of the fern was observed in Mt. Palay-palay (13). yellow green in color and are found on the tip of the rhizome or near its tip. The population density of the plant ranged from 13 plants to 56 plants in a 10,000 m observation space or area plus or minus. The highest population density was served in Mt. Cristobal (56) followed by Mt. Makiling (39) and Mt. Halcon (36).
The least population of the fern was observed in Mt.Paly-palay (13)

Submitted to the University Library 05/10/2007 T-2023