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Key message: Low number of pistillate flowers in the tung tree is a major factor causing the low yield of tung fruits. The tung tree (Vernicia fordii Hemsl.), an economically important woody oil plant, produces excellent fast-drying oil from the seeds which has been used as a protective finish on projects and surfaces for centuries. Knowledge of sex determination and flower development of tung trees is helpful for high-yield cultivation and breeding of new elite cultivars. However, studies on tung flower biology and ontogeny are still lacking. Here, we reported a comprehensive study of the flower biology and ontogeny of the tung tree, focusing on flower cycle, flower morphology and flower development. The inflorescence phenophases of monoecious tung trees were divided into 12 pivotal stages and used as a unique timeline to reference the events registered throughout the flower cycle. Histological studies on sporogenesis and gametogenesis were also conducted. Meanwhile, all the unique events throughout flower cycle were linked together to show the correlation between inflorescence development phenophases, pistillate and staminate flower stages and its embryological development. Tung trees in our plantation were grouped into three major types, i.e., monoecious, gynoecious and androecious trees which produced different number of fruits in each inflorescence. We propose that low number of pistillate flowers in the tung tree is a major factor causing the low yield of tung fruits, and that any measures increasing the number of pistillate flowers would effectively improve the yield of tung fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the mechanisms of adaptive population differentiation requires that both the functional and adaptive significance of divergent traits are characterized in contrasting environments. Here, we (a) determined the effects of floral spur length on pollen removal and receipt using plants with artificial spurs representing the species‐wide variation in length, and (b) quantified pollinator‐mediated selection on spur length and three traits contributing to floral display in two populations each of the short‐spurred and the long‐spurred ecotype of the orchid Platanthera bifolia. Both pollen receipt and removal reached a maximum at 28–29 mm long spurs in a short‐spurred population visited by short‐tongued moths. In contrast, pollen receipt increased linearly across the tested range (4–52 mm) and pollen removal was unrelated to spur length in a long‐spurred population predominantly visited by a long‐tongued moth. The experimentally documented effects on pollen transfer were not reflected in pollinator‐mediated selection through female fitness or pollen removal indicating that the natural within‐population variation in spur length was insufficient to result in detectable variation in pollen limitation. Our study illustrates how combining trait manipulation with analysis of causes and strength of phenotypic selection can illuminate the functional and adaptive significance of trait expression when trait variation is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Awareness of the pollination system and the amount of self-incompatibility of plant species is the first step in choosing appropriate breeding method. This study was carried out to determine the rate of self-incompatibility and the amount of self and cross pollination of Satureja sahendica and S.bachtiarica. For this purpose, paper bags were used for self-pollination treatments, while in control treatment, flowers were allowed to receive pollens from other genotypes. The pollens viability and stigma receptivity were also determined. Flower morphology such as flower length, calyx length, corolla length, anther length, style length, peduncle length, reproductive leaf height, position of anthers relative to each other, position of style relative to stigma, the number of pollen and ovule were determined. Self-incompatibility indices in S. bachtiarica and S. sahendica were 96 and 79%, respectively. The results of this study indicated that the amount of self and cross pollination could be a promising way to produce hybrid seeds through inter and intera species breeding. Practical results of this study that can be used in domestication and breeding improve varieties of these two mentioned species. In both species anthesis started in the fifth and sixth days after flower opening. At this point, the stigmas are at the peak of acceptance that can be pollinated by pollens for two days having the highest survival rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several Prosoeca (Nemestinidae) species use a greatly elongated proboscis to drink nectar from long-tubed flowers. We studied morphological adaptations for nectar uptake of Prosoecamarinusi that were endemic to the Northern Cape of South Africa. Our study site was a small isolated area of semi-natural habitat, where the long-tubed flowers of Babiana vanzijliae (Iridaceae) were the only nectar source of P. marinusi, and these flies were the only insects with matching proboscis. On average, the proboscis measured 32.63 ± 2.93 mm in length and less than 0.5 mm in diameter. The short labella at the tip are equipped with pseudotracheae that open at the apical margin, indicating that nectar is extracted out of the floral tube with closed labella. To quantify the available nectar resources, measurements of the nectar volume were taken before the flies were active and after observed flower visits. On average, an individual fly took up approximately 1 µL of nectar per flower visit. The measured nectar quantities and the flower geometry allowed estimations of the nectar heights and predictions of necessary proboscis lengths to access nectar in a range of flower tube lengths.

The paper presents the morphology of the flower of Iris aphylla L., which is a protected species in many European countries. The study comprises phenological observations of flowering and assessment of nectar and pollen production, and flowering and fruiting abundance. Additionally, the number of insect visitors on the flowers was monitored. The investigations of specimens originating from 4 populations in central-eastern Poland (Wyżyna Lubelska Upland) were conducted in the Botanical Garden of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University. It was found that morphological features of the analysed flowers, i.e. the 6-angular ovary and the perianth tube, which is 2-fold longer than the ovary, are typical for the taxon I. aphylla [=I. aphylla var. typica L.]. The first flowers developed at the turn of April and May at air temperature of 12-13 °C. The plants produced, on average, 3 flowers per stem, 84.2 flowers per 1 m², and 6.2 capsules per 1 m². The flowers released nectar with a moderate amount of sugar and produced high quantities of pollen. Mononychus punctumalbum Herbst. and bumblebees were found to be the main flower pollinators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant phenotypic plasticity in response to antagonists can affect other community members such as mutualists, conferring potential ecological costs associated with inducible plant defence. For flowering plants, induction of defences to deal with herbivores can lead to disruption of plant–pollinator interactions. Current knowledge on the full extent of herbivore‐induced changes in flower traits is limited, and we know little about specificity of induction of flower traits and specificity of effect on flower visitors. We exposed flowering Brassica nigra plants to six insect herbivore species and recorded changes in flower traits (flower abundance, morphology, colour, volatile emission, nectar quantity, and pollen quantity and size) and the behaviour of two pollinating insects. Our results show that herbivory can affect multiple flower traits and pollinator behaviour. Most plastic floral traits were flower morphology, colour, the composition of the volatile blend, and nectar production. Herbivore‐induced changes in flower traits resulted in positive, negative, or neutral effects on pollinator behaviour. Effects on flower traits and pollinator behaviour were herbivore species‐specific. Flowers show extensive plasticity in response to antagonist herbivores, with contrasting effects on mutualist pollinators. Antagonists can potentially act as agents of selection on flower traits and plant reproduction via plant‐mediated interactions with mutualists. We show that plant interactions with pollinators may be easily disrupted or enhanced by herbivores due to extensive floral plasticity. Herbivore‐species‐specific changes in flower morphology, colour, volatile blend, and nectar and pollen production had contrasting effects on pollinator behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower morphology is a key trait for sub-division and inter-species definition of genus Oreocharis. O. rhytidophylla C. Y. Wu ex H. W. Li was last collected in 1956 and published in 1983, and the species has no relevant collection records for the next 60 years. Due to the lack of flower morphology, there are doubts in Flora of Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae, Plants of Gesneriaceae in China and Flora of China. After years of follow-up investigation, Oreocharis rhytidophylla C. Y. Wu ex H. W. Li was rediscovered in 2017 in its type locality. Due to the availability of the flowers during the rediscovery, we confirmed that the species should be considered as a natural species instead of doubtful one. The floral morphology of O. rhytidophylla C. Y. Wu ex H. W. Li was supplemented based on the recent collections and photos. Its rediscovery provides an opportunity to explore its systematic position in the context of phylogeny in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• A large proportion of the flower visitors were small pollen-collecting bees that rarely contacted the stigma and thus, can be characterized as illegitimate visitors. • Smaller flowers were significantly more likely to be predominantly visited by illegitimate visitors while pollinators preferred larger flowers. • Nectar robbing was not correlated with flower size but was associated with premature wilting. • To our knowledge, our study is the first to evaluate the association between illegitimate flower visitors and flower size. The role of pollinators as drivers of morphological diversification has been extensively documented. However, how non-pollinators, such as pollen thieves and nectar robbers, affect flower morphology has received little attention. In this study, we used five species of Penstemon to investigate the relationship between pollinators and non-pollinators, and the flower morphology of the plants they visit. The results suggest that smaller flowers are more likely to be predominantly visited by small and very small pollen-collecting bees, and that larger flowers are more likely to be visited by large bees. Very small and small pollen-collecting bees rarely contacted the stigma and can thus be characterized as illegitimate visitors. However, in the absence of a more efficient pollen vector, these visitors can act as occasional pollinators. On the other hand, nectar robbing by wasps was not correlated with flower size but was associated with premature wilting. Pollinator assemblages varied geographically, but the presence and frequency of non-pollinator visitors did not, and instead they were species-specific. Finally, our results suggest that non-pollinator visitors have a detrimental effect on flower appearance from the pollinators' perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite intensive research, predicting pairwise species associations in pollination networks remains a challenge. The morphological fit between flowers and pollinators acts as a filter that allows only some species within the network to interact. Previous studies emphasized the depth of floral tubes as a key shape trait that explains the composition of their animal visitors. Yet, additional shape-related parameters, related to the handling difficulty of flowers, may be important as well. We analyzed a dataset of 2288 visits by six bee genera to 53 flowering species in a Mediterranean plant community. We characterized the plant species by five discrete shape parameters, which potentially affect their accessibility to insects: floral shape class, tube depth, symmetry, corolla segmentation and type of reproductive unit. We then trained a random forest machine-learning model to predict visitor identities, based on the shape traits. The model’s predictor variables also included the Julian date on which each bee visit was observed and the year of observation, as proxies for within- and between-season variation in flower and bee abundance. The model attained a classification accuracy of 0.86 (AUC = 0.96). Using only shape parameters as predictors reduced its classification accuracy to 0.76 (AUC = 0.86), while using only the date and year variables resulted in a prediction accuracy of 0.69 (AUC = 0.80). Among the shape-related variables considered, flower shape class was the most important predictor of visitor identity in a logistic regression model. Our study demonstrates the power of machine-learning algorithms for understanding pollination interactions in a species-rich plant community, based on multiple features of flower morphology.

Rubber dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz Rodin; TK) has received attention for its natural rubber content as a strategic biomaterial, and a promising, sustainable, and renewable alternative to synthetic rubber from fossil carbon sources. Extensive research on the domestication and rubber content of TK has demonstrated TK’s potential in industrial applications as a relevant natural rubber and latex-producing alternative crop. However, many aspects of its biology have been neglected in published studies. For example, floral development is still poorly characterized. TK inflorescences were studied by scanning electron microscopy. Nine stages of early inflorescence development are proposed, and floral micromorphology is detailed. Individual flower primordia development starts at the periphery and proceeds centripetally in the newly-formed inflorescence meristem. Floral organogenesis begins in the outermost flowers of the capitulum, with corolla ring and androecium formation. Following, pappus primordium—forming a ring around the base of the corolla tube—and gynoecium are observed. The transition from vegetative to inflorescence meristem was observed 21 days after germination. This description of inflorescence and flower development in TK sheds light on the complex process of flowering, pollination, and reproduction. This study will be useful for genetics, breeding, systematics, and development of agronomical practices for this new rubber-producing crop.

The aim of the current study was to determine the floral phenology, nectar secretion dynamics, and honey production potentials of two naturally growing lavender species (L. dentata and L. pubescens), in southwestern Saudi Arabia. In both species, flowering is continuous. This means that, when open flowers on a spike are shaded, new flowers emerge. Such a flowering pattern might be advantageous to the plant to minimise competition for pollinators and promote efficient resource allocation. The flowering periods of the two species overlap. Both species secreted increasing amounts of nectar from early morning to late afternoon. The mean maximum volumes of accumulated nectar from bagged flowers occurred at 15:00 for L. pubescens (0.50 ± 0.24 μL/flower) and at 18:00 for L. dentata (0.68 ± 0.19 μL/flower). The volume of the nectar that became available between two successive measurements (three-h intervals) varied from 0.04 μL/flower to 0.28 μL/flower for L. pubescens and from 0.04 μL/flower to 0.35 μL/ flower for L. dentata, This variation reflects the differences in the dynamics of nectar secretion by these species, and indicates the size of the nectar that may be available for flower visitors at given time intervals. The distribution of nectar secretions appears to be an adaptation of the species to reward pollinators for longer duration. Based on the mean amount of nectar sugar secreted by the plants, the honey production potentials of the species are estimated to be 4973.34 mg and 3463.41 mg honey/plant for L. dentata and L. pubescens, respectively.

Small structures such as scales together with outgrowth of other floral organs modify floral architecture and function. Here, the Hydrophyllaceae, a medium-sized family in the order Boraginales, are studied. The simple tetracyclic, pentamerous flowers have a stamen–corolla tube with typically ten scale-like appendices (modifications) on the inside. The morphology and development of these modifications and the morphology of the spatially associated nectaries are studied using standard and cryo-scanning electron microscopy. There are always ten modifications in antepetalous position, even in species previously described as lacking modifications. Modifications develop late in floral ontogeny and follow similar developmental trajectories. The size and shape of these modifications are correlated with elongation of the filaments and the corolla tube. They divide the overall internal space of the flower into separate compartments. The nectaries are five-lobed or arranged in five glands, each in antepetalous position and juxtaposed to the modifications. Nectaries and modifications are spatially and functionally integrated – producing, presenting and protecting the nectar. A function in plant–pollinator interactions is inferred, but observational and experimental data are lacking. An evolutionary series for the stamen–corolla tube modifications in Hydrophyllaceae is proposed. Similar, possibly homologous types of modifications can be found in related taxa from the Boraginales, but a detailed comparative study has yet to be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The family Nymphaeaceae includes most of the diversity among the ANA‐grade angiosperms. Among the species of this family, floral structures and pollination strategies vary. The genus Victoria, as well as subgenera Lotos and Hydrocallis in Nymphaea, present night‐blooming, scented flowers pollinated by scarab beetles. Such similar pollination strategies have led to macromorphological similarities among the flowers of these species, which could be interpreted as homologies or convergences based on different phylogenetic hypotheses about the relationships of these groups. We employed scanning electron microscopy of floral epidermis for seven species of the Nymphaeaceae with contrasting pollination biology to identify the main characters of the floral organs and the potential homologous nature of the structures involved in pollinator attraction. Moreover, we used transmission electron microscopy to observe ultrastructure of papillate‐conical epidermis in the stamen of Victoria cruziana. We then tested the phylogenetic or ecological distribution of these traits using both consensus network approaches and ancestral state reconstruction on fixed phylogenies. Our results show that the night‐blooming flowers present different specialisations in their epidermis, with V. cruziana presenting the most elaborate floral anatomy. We also identify for the first time the presence of conical‐papillate cells in the order Nymphaeales. The epidermal characters tend to reflect phylogenetic relationships more than convergence due to pollinator selection. These results point to an independent and parallel evolution of scarab pollination in Nymphaeaceae and demonstrate the promise of floral anatomy as a phylogenetic marker. Moreover, they indicate a degree of sophistication in the anatomical basis of cantharophilous flowers in the Nymphaeales that diverges from the most simplistic views of floral evolution in the angiosperms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A new species, Oxypetalum marchesii, from rocky grassland environments of Uruguay, is here described, illustrated, and compared to morphologically similar species. Data on its habitat, distribution, ecology, and conservation status are also provided. Based on its cpDNA, O. marchesii clearly corresponds to the recently re-circumscribed and morphologically diverse genus Oxypetalum. This species is mostly characterized by its creeping, non-twining habit, widely ovate and shortly petiolate hirsute leaves, relatively large flowers with pale greyish corollas, and short stylar-head appendage that is included within a corona formed of oblong-lanceolate, bifurcate lobes. The conservation status of this species is considered vulnerable because of its small geographic range and restricted population size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flower morphology, a phenomenon regulated by a complex network, is one of the vital ornamental features in Nelumbo nucifera. Stamen petaloid is very prevalent in lotus flowers. However, the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is still obscure. Results: Here, the comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed among petal, stamen petaloid and stamen through RNA-seq. Using pairwise comparison analysis, a large number of genes involved in hormonal signal transduction pathways and transcription factors, especially the MADS-box genes, were identified as candidate genes for stamen petaloid in lotus. Conclusions: Taken together, these results provide an insight into the molecular networks underlying lotus floral organ development and stamen petaloid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although in Moraceae the presence of laticifers is considered to be a synapomorphy, little is known about the distribution and morphology of this type of secretory structure in the reproductive organs of its species. Ficus , the largest genus of Moraceae, is characterized by an inflorescence known as syconium and by an obligate mutualistic interaction with pollinating wasps. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the distribution and morphology of laticifers in syconia of 36 species belonging to different Ficus sections and to survey traits of taxonomic and adaptive value for the group. Syconia containing flowers in a receptive state were collected, fixed and processed for anatomical analysis. All species studied have branched laticifers distributed in the syconium receptacle, in the ostiolar bracts and in the pedicel of staminate flowers. Almost all species show laticifers in the pedicel of shorter-styled flowers. Laticifers also occur in the pedicel of longer-styled flowers in most Ficus sections, except F. curtipes ( Conosycea section) and more than 75% of the studied species of the Americanae section. Laticifers are observed in the sepals of 25 of the 36 species studied and occasionally in the pistil. The presence of laticifers in the pedicel of shorter-style flowers and its absence in the pistil suggest that the distribution of this secretory structure in the fig flower was selected by pressures imposed by the fig-fig wasp mutualism. The laticifers in the pedicel of shorter-styled flowers may confer protection to the developing wasp larvae against natural enemies. However, the absence of laticifers in the pistil of most Ficus species studied was probably selected by the mutualistic relationship with the agaonid pollinating wasps since the latex could interfere with oviposition through the style, with the larval development of the pollinating fig wasps, and the emergence of pollinator offspring from their galls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conceptualizing species interactions as networks has broadened our understanding of ecological communities. However, the factors shaping interaction patterns among species and, therefore, network structure remain unclear. One potentially important factor is the matching of phenotypic traits. Here, we tested for trait matching in a bird--flower visitation network from New Zealand. We first quantified the overall network structure and tested whether flower size could account for differences in the visitation rates of flowering plants. We then explored the relationship between the flower size and bill size. The results showed that the interaction network is nested. Plant species with large flowers received more visits from birds than plant species with small flowers. Moreover, plant species with large flowers were visited more frequently by birds with large bills, while species with smaller flowers were visited more frequently by birds with small bills. Overall, the interaction patterns between birds and flowering plants could be predicted by their morphology, suggesting that phenotypic trait matching is an important predictor of network structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: The software FlowerMorphology is designed for automatic morphometry of actinomorphic flowers. The novel complex parameters of flowers calculated by FlowerMorphology allowed us to quantitatively characterize a polyploid series of tobacco.Morphological differences of plants representing closely related lineages or mutants are mostly quantitative. Very often, there are only very fine variations in plant morphology. Therefore, accurate and high-throughput methods are needed for their quantification. In addition, new characteristics are necessary for reliable detection of subtle changes in morphology. FlowerMorphology is an all-in-one software package to automatically image and analyze five-petal actinomorphic flowers of the dicotyledonous plants. Sixteen directly measured parameters and ten calculated complex parameters of a flower allow us to characterize variations with high accuracy. The program was developed for the needs of automatic characterization of Nicotiana tabacum flowers, but is applicable to many other plants with five-petal actinomorphic flowers and can be adopted for flowers of other merosity. A genetically similar polyploid series of N. tabacum plants was used to investigate differences in flower morphology. For the first time, we could quantify the dependence between ploidy and size and form of the tobacco flowers. We found that the radius of inner petal incisions shows a persistent positive correlation with the chromosome number. In contrast, a commonly used parameter—radius of outer corolla—does not discriminate 2n and 4n plants. Other parameters show that polyploidy leads to significant aberrations in flower symmetry and are also positively correlated with chromosome number. Executables of FlowerMorphology, source code, documentation, and examples are available at the program website: https://github.com/Deyneko/FlowerMorphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many Orchidaceae have deceit flowers that produce no reward, the most common reward, when present, is nectar. Bulbophyllum, however, is unusual in that the labellar secretions of most species investigated to date lack sugars, and, therefore, cannot be considered true nectar. The African species Bulbophyllum saltatorium is an exception in that it produces not only nectar but also possesses specialized, capitate oleiferous trichomes. The nectary of B. saltatorium is borne on the labellum and is represented by a deep, narrow, median longitudinal groove, having a small aperture, and flanked by trichomes. Isodiametric epidermal cells lining this groove secrete nectar which collects both in the groove and on the surface of the labellum. As well as a nectary, the labellum of B. saltatorium also bears three types of unicellular trichomes: the longest trichomes are borne distally and abaxially; the marginal ones form a rim around the entire labellum, and finally, massive, capitate trichomes occur proximally and adaxially. These are oleiferous, containing large quantities of oil which might function as precursors of volatile components of fragrance or provide a food-reward. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time for such oleiferous trichomes to be described for Bulbophyllum. Therefore, apart from their color and markings, flowers of this species are able to attract pollinators in at least two, possibly three ways: food-reward in the form of nectar; fragrance; and possibly food-rewards in the form of food-hairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tropane alkaloid scopolamine, an important precursor of active pharmaceutical ingredients due to its anticholinergic properties, can be extracted from leaf material of Duboisia R. Br., a member of the Solanaceae family. Robust and high-yielding Duboisia plants are a major requirement in cultivation because of challenges such as climatic changes and the rising demand of the active pharmaceutical ingredient. Therefore, breeding activities are carried out to improve Duboisia plants with regard to leaf and scopolamine yield maximization as well as a higher tolerance to environmental conditions. Molecular genetic analysis of highly conserved plastid sequences was used to prove the identity of the species Duboisia hopwoodii, D. myoporoides and D. leichhardtii. To evaluate different breeding options various flower characteristics have been analyzed by means of stereo microscopy for the three species. For D. hopwoodii and D. leichhardtii, all characteristics occur stably with nearly no variation. In contrast, the number of flower organs such as petals and anthers varied for D. myoporoides.

Flowers and seeds of Landsberg erecta (Ler) ecotype and NW4 mutant were studied by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to reveal characteristic features of their structure. The NW4 mutant flowers differ from Ler mainly in presence of two bract-like sepals with complicated vasculature and a variable number of secondary flowers. In the two outer whorls of NW4 flower, variable number of transformed stamen-, petal-, sepal- and style-like elements also occur. The NW4 mutant seeds are characterized by the absence of mucilage around the surface and a deviating seed coat morphology.

Background and Aims Flowers of Geraniaceae and Hypseocharitaceae are generally considered as morphologically simple. However, previous studies indicated complex diversity in floral architecture including tendencies towards synorganization. Most of the species have nectar-rewarding flowers which makes the nectaries a key component of floral organization and architecture. Here, the development of the floral nectaries is studied and placed into the context of floral architecture. Methods Seven species from Geraniaceae and one from Hypseocharitaceae were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Samples were prepared and processed using standard protocols. Key Results The development of the nectary glands follows the same trajectory in all species studied. Minor differences occur in the onset of nectarostomata development. The most striking finding is the discovery that a short anthophore develops via intercalary growth at the level of the nectary glands. This anthophore lifts up the entire flower apart from the nectary gland itself and thus plays an important role in floral architecture, especially in the flowers of Pelargonium. Here, the zygomorphic flowers show a particularly extensive receptacular growth, resulting in the formation of a spur-like receptacular cavity ('inner spur'). The nectary gland is hidden at the base of the cavity. Various forms of compartmentalization, culminating in the 'revolver flower' of Geranium maderense, are described. Conclusions Despite the superficial similarity of the flowers in Geraniaceae and Hypseocharitaceae, there is broad diversity in floral organization and floral architecture. While the receptacular origin of the spur-like cavity in Pelargonium had already been described, anthophore formation via intercalary growth of the receptacle in the other genera had not been previously documented. In the context of the most recent phylogenies of the families, an evolutionary series for the floral architecture is proposed, underscoring the importance of synorganization in these seemingly simple flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current investigation, CuO with a flower-like morphology has been successfully synthesized in situ in a chitosan medium (0.0015 g mL −1 ) from copper nitrate (Cu(NO 3 ) 2 ·3H 2 O) and ammonia solution via a facile microwave-induced method. The as-prepared CuO was characterized by SEM, TEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR and TGA. The antibacterial activity of the flower-CuO against Escherichia coli was examined by analyzing colony forming units, and it was proved that the flower-CuO was able to kill >99% bacteria. Further, the flower-CuO exhibited excellent catalytic activity towards the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in the presence of NaBH 4 . The reaction kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order rate law with a rate constant of 0.183 min −1 . To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that copper oxide with the flower-like morphology has been synthesized by using a chitosan solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxypetalum is the largest genus of Oxypetalinae (Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae) and presents its highest diversity in southern South America. A new species, Oxypetalum globosum, from montane environments of northern Argentina, is described, illustrated, and compared to similar species. Data on its habitat, distribution, ecology, and phenology are provided. This is an outstanding species within Oxypetalum due to its flowers with maroon, globose corollas, with patent, rounded corolla lobes, and a bright pink, exserted, hemispheric stylar-head appendage, which suggest fly- pollination. The difficulties in delimiting genera of Oxypetalinae are discussed. A key to the species of Oxypetalum from northern Argentina is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message : Sex allocation in Cyananthus delavayi. Abstract: Gynodioecy, where females and hermaphrodites coexist in the same natural population, is particularly suitable for predicting the ecological pressures that drive the stability of gender polymorphism. Since females have a disadvantage in that they only contribute to the next generation via ovules, they should gain an advantage via other means, of which resource allocation is an important component. Thus, to study their sex allocation is very helpful to understand how the dimorphic sexual system is maintained in natural systems. We studied the sex allocation patterns and reproductive output of the gynodioecious Cyananthus delavayi in three populations with different soil qualities (organic matter, N, P and K). The hermaphroditic flowers and pistils were much larger than those of female individuals. Although both gender morphs invested similar biomass in the pistils, females allocated more of their resource pool to the seed production, while hermaphrodites allocated more to pollinator advertisement. The pollen production of hermaphrodites did not differ between populations, suggesting that pollen production by hermaphrodites was not limited by soil nutrients. Fruit set of females, but not hermaphrodites, decreased with declining soil quality, whereas seeds per fruit of both females and hermaphrodites were highest in poor soils. Overall, this study shows that females achieve greater reproductive success by allocating more of their resource pool to enhancing seed production, which should favor their presence in gynodioecious populations. The hermaphrodites achieve reproductive success from both pollen and seed production, and unnecessarily reduce their allocation to pollen production. Soil quality should explain, at least partially, the sexual allocation patterns. Furthermore, some of our findings contradict previous hypotheses, thus adding a new example to the body of research on plant sex allocation and the development of future theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The staggering diversity of angiosperms and their flowers has fascinated scientists for centuries. However, the quantitative distribution of floral mor- phological diversity (disparity) among lineages and the relative contribution of functional modules (perianth, androecium and gynoecium) to total floral disparity have rarely been addressed. Focusing on a major angiosperm order (Ericales), we compiled a dataset of 37 floral traits scored for 381 extant species and nine fossils. We conducted morphospace analyses to explore phylogenetic, temporal and functional patterns of disparity. We found that the floral morphospace is organized as a continuous cloud in which most clades occupy distinct regions in a mosaic pattern, that disparity increases with clade size rather than age, and that fossils fall in a narrow portion of the space. Surprisingly, our study also revealed that among functional modules, it is the androecium that contributes most to total floral disparity in Ericales. We discuss our findings in the light of clade history, selective regimes as well as developmental and functional constraints acting on the evolution of the flower and thereby demonstrate that quantitative analyses such as the ones used here are a powerful tool to gain novel insights into the evolution and diversity of flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphological features of the endemic Erodium somanum are investigated based on the specimens collected from natural populations from Soma in Manisa. Almost all morphological characteristics are expanded and some morphological characteristics are firstly determined in this study. E. somanum is a dioecious species and in this study drawings of male and female individuals are given for the first time. An umbel is 3-5 flowered in female plants and 6-11 flowered in male plants, pedicels accrescent to 20-25 mm in fruit. Flower morphology was identified in detail and drawings are given for the first time. Stigma color ranges from yellow to red in populations. The fruit is long-beaked 4.8-8 cm, stout and adpressed pilose, glandular below. Mericarp morphology investigated for fruit characters has a special diagnostic value for systematic studies. The mericarp micromorphology and seed micromorphology were determined for the first time. Mericarp size 9-12 mm, mericarps have two apical shallow pits (foveoles) without furrow beneath. Mericarp surface ornamentation is foveate with crowded bristles of dissimilar size, some longer and others shorter. Mericarp pit is crowded with eglandular hairs and some sparse, long-stalked glands which are also at the start of the awn. Seed size is 4.5-6×1.5-2 mm, seed type is narrowly ovate, seed surface is ruminate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With some 700 species, the pantropical Crotalaria is among the angiosperm's largest genera. We sampled 48% of the species from all sections (and representatives of the 15 remaining Crotalarieae genera) for nuclear and plastid DNA markers to infer changes in climate niches, flower morphology, leaf type, and chromosome numbers. Results: Crotalaria is monophyletic and most closely related to African Bolusia (five species) from which it diverged 23 to 30 Ma ago. Ancestral state reconstructions reveal that leaf and flower types are conserved in large clades and that leaf type is uncorrelated to climate as assessed with phylogenetically-informed analyses that related compound vs. simple leaves to the mean values of four Bioclim parameters for 183 species with good occurrence data. Most species occur in open habitats <1000 m alt., and trifoliolate leaves are the ancestral condition, from which unifoliolate and simple leaves each evolved a few times, the former predominantly in humid, the latter mainly in dry climates. Based on chromosome counts for 36% of the 338 sequenced species, most polyploids are tetraploid and belong to a neotropical clade. Conclusions: An unexpected finding of our study is that in Crotalaria, simple leaves predominate in humid climates and compound leaves in dry climates, which points to a different adaptive value of these morphologies, regardless of whether these two leaf types evolved rarely or frequently in our focal group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduced entomophilous non-native plants usually become well integrated into the diet of generalist pollinators. This integration can affect the entire recipient plant-pollinator network. Effects vary from facilitative to competitive, and understanding the factors that govern such variability is one of the fundamental goals in invasion ecology. Species traits determine the linking patterns between plant and pollinator species. Therefore, trait similarity among plants or among pollinators might modulate how they affect each other., We conducted a flower removal experiment to investigate the effects of the non-native entomophilous legume Hedysarum coronarium on the pollination patterns of a Mediterranean shrubland plant-pollinator network. Specifically, we explored whether effects were influenced by similarity with the resident plant species in flower morphology (papilionate vs. non-papilionate), and whether effects on the pollinator community were influenced by similarity in functional group with its main visitor species (bees vs. non-bees). In addition, we explored whether Hedysarum had an effect on the identity of interactions. For this purpose, we calculated the interaction rewiring, that is the number of plant-pollinator interactions that were gained or lost after invasion., Hedysarum was well integrated into the diet of 15 generalist pollinators having the honeybee as its main visitor species. Such integration did not affect visitation rates, normalized degree (i.e. proportion of pollinators they are visited by) nor niche overlap (i.e. proportion of plant species they share pollinators with) of plants, irrespective of their flower morphology. Only the proportion of honeybee visits to resident plants decreased with invasion. On the other hand, Hedysarum reduced visitation rates and niche overlap of pollinators, mainly those of bee species. Finally, we observed that changes in the foraging behaviour of the honeybee were positively associated with the interaction rewiring involving the rest (92 taxa) of pollinators., In conclusion, pollinators show a plastic use of floral resources, responding to the presence of non-native plants. When the non-native attracts highly competitive pollinators such as the honeybee, plasticity is especially significant in pollinators that are functionally close to that competitive pollinator. The result is an interaction rewiring, probably due to pollinators avoiding competition with the honeybee. Though this plasticity might not quantitatively affect the pollination of plants, consequences on their reproduction and the functioning of the network can derive from the interaction rewiring., A is available for this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high mountain species, flowers are considered the most frost-sensitive organs of plants. Such frost sensibility relates to the fact that most flowers do not tolerate ice formation in their tissues, suggesting that freezing avoidance mechanisms would be highly selected to protecting these vital organs from freezing damage. Despite this, the function and regulation of avoidance mechanisms in flowers have been poorly studied. This study assessed the importance of freezing avoidance mechanisms in alpine species from the central Chilean Andes. Reproductive shoots of 14 herbaceous species from the subalpine and low alpine belts in the central Chilean Andes were collected during peak flowering in the field and transported to the lab to study ice formation and propagation. The frequency and effectiveness of structural ice barriers (SIB) and the effect of inflorescence morphology on thermal decoupling were quantified by infrared thermography. SIBs were detected in 9 out of the 14 studied species but were effective only in three. Moreover, no thermal decoupling was detected in any studied species, independent of their inflorescence type. We conclude that SIBs and inflorescence morphology are insufficient to protect flowers from damage caused by night freezing events. • Structural ice barriers are a widespread avoidance mechanism during flowering. • Thermal decoupling was not related to floral morphology. • Structural freezing avoidance mechanisms functioning and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of studing flower morphology, vascular anatomy and gynoecium micromorphology of Sansevieria suffruticosa N. E. Br. are presented. In this species, there is a flower tube of semiadnated tepals and stamens and also syncarpous gyno­ecium having septal nectaries. According to our data, the vascular system of this flower is comparable with the vascular system of the flower having free tepals, stamens and carpels because all of them have independent innervation. The carpel trace consists of dorsal bundle and a median ventral bundle which bifurcated in two ventral bundles, fused with dorsal bundle in the ovary roof. The ovule is innervated from the median ventral bundle. The gynoecium of Sansevieria suffruticosa is hemisyncarpous, but it has a short synascidiate zone which is typical for the eusyncarpous gynoecium. The hemisynascidiate (fertile), hemisymplicate (higher part of the ovary) and asymplicate (style and stigma) zones are located above a synascidiate zone. The septal nectary in the ovary corresponds to the inner non-labyrinthine distinct type, and in the ovary roof – to the outer labyrinthine type. The high base and roof of the ovary, and also long septal nectary are characteristic features of the inner gynoecium structure of this species.

Objetivou-se analisar a influência da arquitetura floral, o comportamento dos visitantes florais diurnos e a influência dos locais de deposição de pólen no corpo dos polinizadores para o sucesso reprodutivo de Helicteres sacarolha e H. lhotzkyana. A floração de H. sacarolha ocorreu durante a estação chuvosa (Janeiro a Abril) e de H. lhotzkyana se estendeu de Julho a Outubro (estação seca e inicio da estação chuvosa). Flores de ambas as espécies são vistosas, zigomorfas e apresentam características de ornitofilia. Beija-flores foram os principais visitantes florais diurnos destas espécies, não tendo havido polinizadores em comum entre elas. Os beija-flores que visitaram as flores de H. sacarolha apresentaram comportamento territorialista e o local de deposição de pólen era na cabeça ou na testa, enquanto que os que visitaram flores de H. lhotzkyana apresentaram comportamento "traplining" e o pólen era depositado na cauda ou nos pés. O sucesso reprodutivo foi significativamente diferente entre as espécies, a produção média de sementes por fruto foi de 24,56 em H. sacarolha e de 5,28 em H. lhotzkyana. As características florais e os comportamentos dos polinizadores, explicam parte das variações no sucesso reprodutivo das espécies estudadas.The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of floral architecture, the behavior of day visitors to the flowers and the influence of the location of pollen deposition on the bodies of the pollinators for the reproductive success of Helicteres sacarolha and H. lhotzkyana. Flowering of H. sacarolha occurred during the rainy season (January to April) and H. lhotzkyana between July and October (dry season and beginning of the rainy season). Flowers of both species are colorful and zygomorphic with characteristics of ornithophily. Hummingbirds were the main day visitors to the flowers. The species had no pollinators in common. The behavior of the hummingbirds that visited H. sacarolha flowers was territorial and the pollen was deposited on the head or forehead; the behavior of those that visited H. lhotzkyana flowers was traplining and the pollen was deposited on the tail or feet. Reproductive success was significantly different between the species; mean fruit set was 24.56 for H. sacarolha and 5.28 for H. lhotzkyana. Floral characteristics and pollinator behavior explain part of the differences in the reproductive success of the species studied.

Se caracterizaron 21 especies de Passiflora las que incluyeron tres subgéneros, mediante 66 descriptores cuantitativos y 100 cualitativos. El análisis de componentes principales (ACP) de los descriptores cuantitativos identificó dos componentes con valor propio superior a 1, asociados con hoja y flor, los cuales explicaron 80% de la varianza total de las accesiones estudiadas. Con el análisis factorial de correspondencia múltiple (AFCM) de los descriptores cualitativos se identificaron tres dimensiones, que explicaron 82% de la varianza total; a la segunda se asociaron tipo de crecimiento, número de flores por nudo y color de la última serie de los filamentos en el ápice; a la tercera, forma y margen de la bráctea, margen de la bráctea; y a la primera las demás variables cualitativas. El análisis de agrupamiento (distancias de 'city-block-Manhattan') evidenció dos grandes grupos, según la longitud del hipantio -especies con flor de hipantio corto y largo-. El análisis de clasificación también mostró que la morfología floral fue determinante en la discriminación infragenérica en Passiflora.21 Colombian Passiflora species, including three subgenera of the genus were morphologically characterized by using 66 quantitative and 100 qualitative descriptors. Principal components analysis of quantitative data identified two components with own value superior to one, associated respectivelly to leave and flower, which explained 80% of total variance of studied accessions. Factorial analysis of multiple correspondence permitted identify three dimensions, which explained 82% of total variance. Second dimension was associated with growth habit, number of flowers by knot and collor of the last filaments series in apex. Third dimension was associated with morphology and bracts margin, and the former whith others qualitative variables. Cluster analysis (city-block-Manhattan distances) could to evidence two mayor groups, according to flower tube size (the first one with species presenting a short flower tube, other presenting a large flower tube). Classification analysis also showed that flower morphology was very important to determine infrageneric discrimination in Passiflora.

Allium is a complicated genus that includes approximately 1000 species. Although its morphology is well studied, the taxonomic importance of many morphological traits, including floral traits, are poorly understood. Here, we examined and measured the floral characteristics of 87 accessions of 74 Allium taxa (belonging to 30 sections and nine subgenera) from Central to Eastern Asian countries. We then examined the taxonomic relationships between select flower characteristics and a phylogenetic tree based on ITS sequences. Our results confirm that floral morphology provides key taxonomic information to assess species delimitation in Allium . We found that perianth color is an important characteristic within the subg. Melanocrommyum , Polyprason , and Reticulatobulbosa . In subg. Allium , Cepa, and Rhizirideum , significant characteristics include ovary shape, perianth shape, and inner tepal apex. For species in subg. Angunium , the key taxonomic character is ovule number (only one ovule in per locule). In the subg. Allium , Cepa , Polyprason , and Reticulatobulbosa , which belong to the third evolutionary line of Allium , hood-like appendages occur in the ovary, although these do not occur in subg. Rhizirideum . Our results also indicated that the flower morphology of several species in some sections are not clearly distinguished, e.g., sect. Sacculiferum (subg. Cepa ) and sect. Tenuissima (subg. Rhizirideum ). This study provides detailed photographs and descriptions of floral characteristics and information on general distributions, habitats, and phenology of the studied taxa., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.)

While stress is expected to increase developmental instability (DI), not all studies confirm this. This heterogeneity could in part be due to the use of subtle differences between the left and right side of bilateral symmetrical organisms to quantify DI, leading to large sampling error obscuring associations with DI. Traits that develop simultaneously more than twice (such as flower petals or bird feathers) reflect individual DI more reliably, such that stronger associations are expected to emerge. Furthermore, some studies have shown differences in strengths of associations among populations. We studied the association between individual genetic diversity and DI in flower petals within three Opuntia echios populations inhabiting Galápagos. Quantifying individual DI through variation in length and width of a high number of petals within individual cacti, lead to a strong association between DI and genetic diversity in one population. We conclude that associations between individual DI and genetic diversity can be more easily revealed by measuring traits that develop repeatedly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]