Differential effects of abscisic acid on desiccation tolerance and carbohydrates in three species of liverworts.

Tissues of three species of in vitro grown liverworts, Riccia fluitans, Pallavicinia lyellii, and Marchantia polymorpha, were subjected to rapid drying with and without preculture for 1 week on medium containing 10 microM ABA. ABA preculture initiated total desiccation tolerance in R. fluitans, whereas control tissues were killed after 30 min of drying.