What we really know about the dormancy, reproduction, germination and cultivation of charophytes (Characeae)

Abstract

This expanded review aims to provide information on previous basic research by charophyte experts in the areas of reproduction, dormancy, germination of oospores and cultivation. Therefore, published information, the author’s PhD thesis and further results have been combined to summarise the current state of knowledge for Characeae of permanent and temporary waterbodies. The understanding of evolutionary, systematic and molecular pathways require multidimensional approaches using combined results of morphology, anatomy, physiology, genetics, geobotanics and ecology. The application of zonobioms from geobotanies for performed germination studies resulted in a linkage between environmental conditions and dormancy breakage treatment. Besides this, the combination of environmental logger data and species-specific cultivation knowledge resulted in an optimised in-vitro system that allow the successful gametangia initiation and maturation under artificial laboratory conditions in monoecious diplostichous Chara species.