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During germination of the spore of the sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis L. the nucleus migrates from a central position to the proximal face and then to one end of the ellipsoidal spore. An asymmetric cell division follows giving rise to a small cell which differentiates immediately into a rhizoid, and a large cell which divides further to give rise to the prothallus. The proximal face of the spore coat is differentiated from the remainder of the spore by its ability to bind nickel ions under certain conditions and by its staining with a sulfide-silver procedure which localizes heavy metals. The inner portion of the exine at the proximal face is differentiated from the outer part by its ability to stain with sulfide-silver at specific periods during germination. The exine at the proximal face also contains pore-like structures 50 nm in diameter which extend from the inner layer of the exine to the outer surface. Sulfide-silver staining material appears to be extruded through the pores at specific periods during germination. The percentage of spores showing nickel-binding and sulfide-silver stainability increases sharply during the first two to four hours of imbibition, then decreases sharply during the following two hours. This is followed by a second rise in staining at 8 to 12 hours of imbibition. The role of the ion-binding sites in the exine is discussed in relation to the stable polarity of the spore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]