Floral and inflorescence morphology and ontogeny in Beta vulgaris, with special emphasis on the ovary position
Por:
Olvera H.F., Smets E., Vrijdaghs A.
Publicada:
1 oct 2008
Categoría:
Plant Science
Resumen:
Background and Aims In spite of recent phylogenetic analyses for the Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae complex, some morphological characters are not unambiguously interpreted, which raises homology questions. Therefore, ontogenetic investigations, emphasizing on 'bracteoles' in Atripliceae and flowers in Chenopodioideae, were conducted. This first paper presents original ontogenetic observations in Beta vulgaris, which was chosen as a reference species for further comparative investigation because of its unclarified phylogenetic position and its flowers with a (semi-)inferior ovary, whereas all other Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae have hypogynous flowers. Methods Inflorescences and flowers were examined using scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Key Results Floral development starts from an inflorescence unit primordium subtended by a lateral bract. This primordium develops into a determinate axis on which two opposite lateral flowers originate, each subtended by a bracteole. O
Filiaciones:
Olvera H.F.:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Smets E.:
National Herbarium of the Netherlands, Leiden University Branch, Leiden, Netherlands
Vrijdaghs A.:
K.U. Leuven, Biology-Institute for Botany and Microbiology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, Heverlee (Leuven), Belgium
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