Anatomical and palynological studies on some filicales from Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir

Four ferns viz., Polystichum nigroplaceium (Christ) Diels (Aspidiaceae), Woodwardia unigemmata (Makino) Nakai (Blechnaceae), Asplenium adiantum nigrum L (Aspleniaceae) and Adiantum capillus veneris L. (Adiantaceae) were collected from Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir and identified. The anatomy of the rachis of Polystichum nigroplaceium,, Woodwardia unigemmata and Asplenium adiantum nigrum showed di-tri-tetrarch stele in the rachis. The rachis anatomy of Adiantum capillus veneris revealed a thick walled heavily cutinized epidermis and hypodermis while the ground tissue was made up of parenchymatous cells with air spaces. The ornamentation pattern of the spores of Adiantum capillus veneris is unique and can be referred as means of identification of the species.