Abstract: Spore morphology of 14 species in the genus Dryoathyrium and one in the genus Lunathyrium from China was investigated under light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The spores are monolete, bilaterally symmetric, elliptic in polar view, and semiorbicular or reniform in equatorial view. According to the surface ornamentation of the perine, the spores in Dryoathyrium can be divided into three types. Type I is characterized by having lophate processes on the perine which are connected and reticulate or ornate. Three species, D. chinese, D. coreanum and D. pterorachis, have this type of spores. Type Ⅱ is characterized by having curved-lobate, lobate or tuberculate processes on the pefine. Eight species, D. boryanum, D. confusum, D. edentulum, D. henryi, D. okuboanum, D. stenopteron, D. setigerum and D. viridifrons, have this type of spores. Type Ⅲ is characterized by having spine-like, irregularly baculate or papilla-like processes on the perine. Three species, D. erectum, D. falcatipinnulum and D. unifurcatum, have this type of spores. The spore morphology of Lunathyrium ningshenense is very similar to that of D. coreanum, supporting the treatment of reducing the former to the synonymy of the latter.

Key words: Spore morphology, Dryoathyrium, China