Elater

The elaters are helical cells in the spore capsules of liverworts that promote the spread of spores. They occur only in the liverworts, hornworts have so-called Pseudoelateren. The mosses ( Bryophytina ) have no elaters.

The elaters arise from the diploid archesporium inside a spore capsule. A Archesporzelle divides by longitudinal division in a spore mother cell and a Elaterenmutterzelle. Spore mother cells divide mitotically several times before they form by meiosis haploid spores. This results in more and more spores than elaters. The elaters initially serve the food of the spore mother cells. Later, the elaters thickenings in the wall formed, usually two, rarely three helical strips. The thickened turn on drainage spiral together. If the voltage of this occurring, the cohesive force of the water inside the cell, fast apart the spiral. The spores are three to four inches wide ejected. This mechanism requires dry weather.

The unwinding is usually done when opening the spore capsule.