Search results for "Inflorescence"

Genetic Transformation of Serratula tinctoria (Dyer’s Savory) for Ecdysteroid Production

1999

Serratula tinctoria is a perennial plant of the Compositae family with medium-sized, serrated leaves and purple flowers (Loste 1937). This plant, also known as dyer’s savory, is widespread in Europe but with an irregular distribution. Inflorescences (capitula) are purple and are usually unisexual, staminate, or pistillate. In Europe, the flowering period extends from July to September. More than 40 species have been described in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. The plants produce large amounts of secondary metabolites, in particular ecdysteroids at very high concentration in roots (up to 2% dry wt.), in flowers, and in leaves (Bathori et al. 1986; Rudel et al. 1992; Corio-Costet et al. 1993b…

2017

The genus Dipsacus is characterized by a remarkable bidirectional flowering sequence and a rare phyllotactic pattern. Considering that flower initiation and flowering sequence may be interconnected, we document the development of the head meristem in Dipsacus fullonum. Our results indicate a gradual change in the geometry of the head meristem beginning with a dome shaped stage, continuing with a remarkable widening in the middle part of the head meristem and ending in a spindle-like form. Quantitative data confirm that meristem expansion is higher in the middle part than at the base of the meristem. Likewise, the size of the flower primordia in the middle part of the young head is significa…

Inflorescence scents of Calendula maritima, C. suffruticosa subsp. fulgida, and their hybrid

2018

Premise of research. Hybridization is an important driver of plant evolutionary processes. By attracting the same pollinators to different species, floral scents may be involved in the formation of hybrids and breakdown of species boundaries. In contrast, by attracting a different suite of pollinators to hybrids and their parents, floral scents are believed to contribute to speciation processes initiated by hybridization events. Scents may or may not differ between the hybrids and their parents, but little is known about the scent chemistry of parental species and their hybrids. Methodology. We studied the inflorescence scents of parental Calendula maritima and C. suffruticosa subsp. fulgid…

Interspecific variation of inflorescence scents and insect visitors in Allium (Amaryllidaceae: Allioideae)

2019

Allium is a large monocotyledonous genus, with many species of high economic importance. Knowledge of the pollination biology and the chemical ecology of pollination in this genus is far from being complete. We studied flower visitors of some Allium species in their native habitat and how these interaction partners communicate by olfactory cues. Floral volatiles of five Mediterranean species were investigated by dynamic headspace and thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS). Floral visitors were observed and captured. The physiological activity of scent components in antennae of flower visitors and congeneric species was tested by gas chromatographic/electroantenno…

Flower abscission in Vitis vinifera L. triggered by gibberellic acid and shade discloses differences in the underlying metabolic pathways

2015

Understanding abscission is both a biological and an agronomic challenge. Flower abscission induced independently by shade and gibberellic acid (GAc) sprays was monitored in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) growing under a soilless greenhouse system during two seasonal growing conditions, in an early and late production cycle. Physiological and metabolic changes triggered by each of the two distinct stimuli were determined. Environmental conditions exerted a significant effect on fruit set as showed by the higher natural drop rate recorded in the late production cycle with respect to the early cycle. Shade and GAc treatments increased the percentage of flower drop compared to the control, and …

Limonium ilergabonum (Plumbaginaceae), a new species from northeastern Iberian Peninsula

2017

A new species of Limonium (Plumbaginaceae), L . ilergabonum sp. nov. , is described from the inland gypsum soils of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula (Flix, Tarragona province, Spain). The new species is closely related to the Iberian L. hibericum on morphological traits as assessed by multivariate ordination analysis (PCA), but it can be distinguished by the narrower leaves, inflorescence shape, and longer calyx. Limonium ilergabonum shows mixoploidy (2 n = 18, 2 n = 27), irregular pollen shapes, low levels of pollen stainability, and a single pollen-stigma combination morph (B type). All evidences suggest that L . ilergabonum is a polyploid relict species with an apomictic breeding syste…

The unique inflorescence structure of Dorema aucheri (Apiaceae): An adaptation to the arid environment

2021

Abstract Arid environments demand specific adaptations from plants in vegetative and reproductive systems. Self–compatibility, high pollen production and few well developed fruits are adapted to increase sexual reproductive success. Dorema aucheri is an arid–adapted, perennial monocarpic species endemic to southern Iran. It has a unique inflorescence structure. In this study, significance of inflorescence architecture for reproductive success was investigated in a wild population. The huge yellow inflorescences were frequently visited by manifold insects. The species is andromonoecious and spatially subdivided in a distal part with perfect flowers and a proximal part with male flowers. Flow…

Assessment of production and qualitative characteristics of different populations of Salvia sclarea L. found in Sicily (Italy)

2021

Salvia sclarea L. is an important industrial crop, valued for its herbal-aromatic properties and high quality essential oils, that is used in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. In this study, carried out from 2009 to 2010, the morphological and production characteristics and essential oil content and composition of three Sicilian populations were studied. In particular, the composition of essential oils extracted from primary and secondary inflorescences using steam distillation was assessed. Morphological, production and qualitative data from the three populations were subjected to analysis of variance and cluster analysis. Regarding the quality of the oils, only the most prevalent compo…

2020

One of the most exciting questions in botany refers to the nature of the angiosperm flower. While most flowering structures are easily identified as flowers, there are few examples lying in-between flowers and inflorescences. Such an example is the staminate unit ('male flower') in Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) famous for its branched 'staminal trees.' The units were controversially interpreted in the past. Today, they are seen as flowers with multiple branched stamen-fascicles. In the present paper, the recently described floral unit meristem is used to reinterpret the staminate units in Ricinus. This meristem shares almost all characteristics with a flower meristem, but differs from it…

Exploiting the diversity of tomato: the development of a phenotypically and genetically detailed germplasm collection

2020

[EN] A collection of 163 accessions, including Solanum pimpinellifolium, Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme and Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum, was selected to represent the genetic and morphological variability of tomato at its centers of origin and domestication: Andean regions of Peru and Ecuador and Mesoamerica. The collection is enriched with S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme from the Amazonian region that has not been analyzed previously nor used extensively. The collection has been morphologically characterized showing diversity for fruit, flower and vegetative traits. Their genomes were sequenced in the Varitome project and are publicly available (solgenomics.net/projects/…