EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF LIGNIN IN MOSS GAMETOPHYTES

Lignin has been established as a constituent of the gametophyte axes in the giant New Zealand mosses Dawsonia sp. and Dendroligotrichum sp. Isolated products comprised ca. 6-10% of the dry weight of gametophyte axes and contained 61-62% C, 6.4-6.8% H, and 5.1-7.9% OCH₃. Characteristic color reaction and ultraviolet spectra were observed, and alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation yielded perhaps 14-18% of mixed aldehydes as their 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones. The presence of substantial lignin in these exceptionally tall upright moss gametophytes contrasts strikingly with north temperate species such as Polytrichum, Funaria, Bryum and others, and lends support to the hypothesis that lignification is a mechanically and/or gravitationally regulated process.