大叶相思花部形态与开花生物学研究

对大叶相思(Acacia auriculiformis)栽培植株进行观察,用光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对其花部形态和开花生物学特征进行研究。结果表明,大叶相思开花期为8～12月,穗状花序由114.9±11.9朵花组成,每朵花含124.1±16.5枚雄蕊,每雄蕊含有8粒16合花粉,单花花粉量为15885粒;雌蕊1枚,具14.4±1.8个胚珠,柱头凹陷,属于湿柱头类型。P/O值为1103.1;大叶相思花在夜间开放,开花可分为5个阶段。开花期间观察到雌蕊先于雄蕊伸出花冠和雄蕊先于雌蕊伸出花冠并存的现象,推测雌雄基本同熟。SEM观察花药在开花的第2阶段形成开裂线,第4阶段完全开裂并开始散粉。雄蕊于开花第1天的9: 00～12: 00大量散粉;雌蕊柱头在开花第1天上午出现分泌物,随后逐渐减少。开花后3~4 d柱头开始凋零,柱头可授期约为3 d,以开花第1天10: 00之后的可授性最佳。     

灰枣开花生物学特性研究

通过田间定位观察、MTT检测和扫描电镜观察等方法对灰枣的开花生物学特性进行了观察,探讨其生殖成功基础.结果表明:(1)灰枣单花寿命约33 h;(2)灰枣花粉胚珠比为15 196±4 290;(3)花粉活力在散粉后7 d内相对较高,12 d后所有花粉丧失活性;(4)从蕾裂期到花瓣雄蕊分离期雌蕊两心皮聚拢,此后在花瓣展平期柱头开始分离,柱头在分离后开始具有强可授性;(5)花柱分离后,位于腹缝线两侧的细胞也发育成柱头乳突,从而增加了可接受花粉的面积;(6)花药散粉早于柱头可授期,花粉不能自发落置在柱头上,表现出雌雄异熟和雌雄空间异位的花部特征.     

小毛茛雌蕊群的授粉率及花粉管生长途径

为探讨毛茛属中是否具有与慈姑属中类似的花粉管再分配现象,对小毛茛开花后不同时期柱头的授粉率和花粉量进行了统计,并采用荧光显微术观察了其花粉在雌蕊群中的萌发及花粉管生长过程。该种的每朵花中含有39.2±9.9个离生心皮,开花过程常持续4~6d,开花2d后,柱头授粉率就可达到100%,平均每柱头的花粉量在3d后达到17.0±2.4粒。虽然开花的当天即有少数柱头落置有花粉粒,但花粉萌发常自开花的次日开始。花粉管先沿各雌蕊之向心一侧的组织中穿行至子房基部后部分花粉管转向胚珠,由珠孔进入珠心。从花粉粒落置于柱头到花粉管进入珠心大约需要24h。尽管毛茛属有着与慈姑属类似的多心皮雌蕊群,但大量的荧光显微观察表明,与慈姑属植物中不同的是,小毛茛的花粉管生长均局限于每一雌蕊中而不能穿过子房向其他雌蕊生长。雌蕊群的比较解剖发现野慈姑的子房基部有一条通向花托表面的孔道,这正是花粉管由一个雌蕊到另一个雌蕊的通路,但小毛茛的子房基部不存在此孔道。     

濒危植物四药门花的自花授粉

观测了四药门花Loropetalum subcordatum的开花物候、开花动态和访花者; 对其花粉组织化学、花粉胚珠比和花粉活力进行了检测; 通过人工控制授粉实验检测了其繁育系统; 使用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察了自花花粉在柱头上的萌发情况并使用荧光显微镜观察了花粉管在花柱中的生长情况。结果表明: 四药门花花期为9月至次年2月, 其中9-10月为开花高峰期; 单花花期4-6 d; 雌蕊先熟, 开花时柱头即有活性, 并持续到花谢; 花药于开花后12-24 h内开裂, 并能直接落置自花柱头; 离体花粉寿命约26 h, 花粉为非淀粉型, 花粉胚珠比为8420±720.86 (n=10); 无花蜜分泌。未观察到任何外来的访花者, 仅见到生活在头状花序中的蓟马Thrips sp., 且未见到蓟马在花间积极迁飞, 表明蓟马不是其有效的传粉者。无处理套网和辅助异株授粉的结实率(5.30%±1.83%/6.67%±1.91%)与自然对照(4.79%±1.45%)差异均不显著(P=0.847/0.616), 扫描电镜观察证明自花花粉能在柱头上顺利萌发, 荧光显微镜观察证明花粉管能在24 h内生长到花柱基部, 说明四药门花是自花传粉, 不存在无融合生殖。四药门花存在雌蕊先熟现象并且仍有异交可能, 说明其祖先类型曾经是异交植物。花谢后子房于次年夏天才开始膨大而果实于10月间开花高峰期后成熟, 说明存在胚发育延迟的现象。本文还讨论了金缕梅科Hamamelidaceae中自花传粉由蝇类传粉演化而来的可能性。     

水稻的开花

白露节后,我校水稻栽培课外活动小组,在10天时间内,着重观察了水稻的开花习性,在这10天当中,是江西宜春晚稻开花的盛期。我们观察到稻花的构造,在每一小枝梗上,生有小穗,其上有一花,花有外稃(较大)和内稃,内外稃下面有2个护頴,内外稃的内面有雄蕊6个(靠外稃3个,靠内稃3个),雌蕊一个立于中央,其下部有2片浆片。内外稃在未成熟时为绿色,雄蕊淡黄色,雌蕊淡绿色,浆片白色,柱头是羽状二裂,外稃顶端有生芒的,也有不生芒的,内外稃外面都有短刺(图1)。     

毛竹花粉的形态及双受精过程研究

由于实验的材料、条件和技术的限制,关于竹类花粉形态、花粉管生长过程的研究十分少见。毛竹( Phyllostachys edulis)属于禾本科( Poaceae/Gramineae)竹亚科( Bambusoideae)植物,在我国广泛分布,具有重要的经济、生态和文化价值。由于其独特的生殖生物学特性,即开花周期长、结籽率低,所以对其开花材料的获取十分困难。该研究在其独特的开花特性基础上,结合野外实地观察,利用显微镜、环境扫描电镜、荧光显微镜等,对毛竹的花粉形态、结构以及花粉管的萌发与生长动态进行了首次报道。结果表明：(1)毛竹花粉近球形,平均直径为61.00μm,属于大型孢子。(2)毛竹成熟花粉落到雌蕊柱头上后,经过花粉与柱头的成功识别,开始萌发,并形成花粉管;随着花粉管的逐渐伸长生长,依次经过柱头和花柱,到达子房;约120 min后到达珠孔处,进入胚珠和胚囊,完成双受精作用。通过对毛竹花粉形态结构和花粉管生长至受精过程的动态观察,为毛竹花粉可授性、花粉生理、生化研究提供了实验技术准备。该研究结果完善和丰富了毛竹乃至整个禾本科植物在生殖生物学方面的研究内容。     

楸树的开花生物学及繁育系统研究

本文对楸树的开花习性进行观察记录,从花粉生活力、柱头可授性及套袋实验等方面对楸树的传粉机制进行研究。结果表明,楸树为典型的雌雄同花植物,花冠张开后,雌蕊柱头二裂开始张开,具有可授性,且张开120°时可授性最强;雌蕊柱头在张开期间具有较高生活力,花冠脱落后生活力开始下降,楸树单花花粉量大,可达9.4×106;楸树自交不亲和,不存在无融合生殖现象,且人工异花授粉坐果率高达94%。通过对楸树花器官的形态学及传粉的研究,为楸树的繁殖效率及其杂交育种研究奠定基础。     

喜树开花特性及繁育系统的研究

定位观测了喜树(Camptotheca acuminata Decne)花部构造、开花特性,用杂交指数(OCI)、花粉/胚珠比(P/O)、去雄、套袋、人工授粉等方法测定了喜树的繁育系统.结果表明:喜树花序为由4～6个头状花序组成的聚伞花序,聚伞花序上部的头状花序由两性花组成,下部的花序由雄花组成,两性花雌雄蕊发育正常,雄蕊10枚,雌蕊1枚,下位子房,一室,倒生胚珠;雄花雄蕊发育正常,雌蕊不发育.自然条件下,同一头状花序散粉后2 d,花粉活力最高;两性花在柱头外翻后3～4 d,柱头可受性最强,第6天失去可受性.喜树两性花为半同步雌雄蕊异熟类型,每个头状花序的所有小花同步开放,雄蕊先成熟,表现为雄性时期,雄蕊脱落后,雌蕊成熟,表现为雌性时期,上一级头状花序雌蕊成熟期与下一级头状花序雄蕊成熟期重合.繁育系统检测结果为部分自交和异交,需要传粉者活动才能完成授粉过程.     

濒危植物伯乐树传粉生物学特性研究

通过野外观察和室内测定等方式,对伯乐树的花部结构、访花昆虫及访花行为进行了观察,并利用石蜡切片法对开花期的雌蕊花柱及柱头进行显微观察,有关其传粉生物学特性的研究结果表明:伯乐树自然开花正常,其有效胚珠的比率为23.3%。伯乐树为虫媒植物,传粉者主要依赖黄胸木蜂,伯乐树的授粉方式可能属于居群内的花粉交流,石蜡切片显示柱头与花柱道相通,花柱道长,空隙很大,在一定程度上影响本物种的传粉。     

内蒙古居群抗寒西伯利亚杏繁殖生态学研究

对内蒙古居群抗寒西伯利亚杏的12个种源同一树龄的102株进行雌蕊败育率、花粉量、花粉活力、柱头可授性及自交不亲和性进行研究,以明确西伯利亚杏主产地资源的花期生物学特性和繁殖特性,为杏杂交育种和资源利用提供理论依据。结果表明:(1)有86.27%的西伯利亚杏雌蕊败育率低于90%;73.53%的西伯利亚杏单朵花花粉量在1×104～5×104之间;86.27%的西伯利亚杏花粉活力低于50%,且寿命较短。(2)花苞在将开未开时,柱头已经具备一定的可授性,开花后1～4d内柱头可授性保持较高水平,第5天开始有下降趋势。(3)荧光显微观察结果显示,授粉后16h时,96.08%的杏花花粉管在花柱上部;授粉后24h时,74.51%的杏花花粉管仍在花柱上部;授粉后48h时,35.29%的杏花花粉管到达花柱中部;授粉后80h时,花粉管到达花柱下部的杏花约50%,但受精胚珠数为0。研究认为,西伯利亚杏基本为自交不亲和。     

Morphology and development of the female flowers in Geonoma interrupta (Arecaceae)

Morphology and development of the female flowers in Geonoma interrupta are described and compared with other taxa within Arecaceae. Inflorescences are pleiothyrses. Cincinni are immersed in pits and arranged according to the Fibonacci pattern along the rachillae. The gynoecium is composed of three free carpels in early stages and later becomes pseudomonomerous. Two carpels are sterile; they develop to different degrees and are commonly unequal in size. The fertile carpel contains a single, crassinucellate, anatropous ovule. Styles are formed in each carpel. The style of the fertile carpel becomes basifixed as the ovary enlarges. The stigmas remain free and plicate during development and expose unicellular papillae at anthesis. Pollen tube transmitting tracts and a compitum are present in the ventral slits of the stigmas and the postgenitally united styles during anthesis. A septal nectary is formed by incomplete union of the flanks of the carpels at the base of the gynoecium, and nectar is secreted from an epithelium. It is suggested that in Geonoma as a whole, the attraction of pollinators to female flowers is due to a combination of nectar reward and partial mimicry of male flowers.     

Self-pollination of Asarum caulescens Maxim. (Aristolochiaceae) in Japan

Abstract Observations in two populations of Asarum caulescens belonging to sect. Asarum indicate that inbreeding predominates becuase (1) no effective pollinator was observed, (2) bagged flowers set fruits with well-swollen seeds, and (3) the behaviour of filaments, changing from recurved to straight posture, results in direct deposition of pollen grains on the stigmas. This result agrees with reports on three other species of sect. Asarum in Europe and North America. We suggest that species of sect. Asarum diverged from an autogamous ancestor.     

Abnormalities in pistil development result in low seed set in Leymus chinensis (Poaceae)

Megasporogenesis and megagametogenesis in Leymus chinensis and the callose deposition during these developmental processes were investigated. In addition, morphological and histochemical studies of pistils at anthesis and pollen behavior on the stigmas after pollination were examined. The results indicate that embryo sac development and callose deposition pattern of this grass follow the archetypal Polygonum type. Nearly half of the pistils developed abnormally in megagametogenesis, while only 8.6% of abnormalities occurred in megasporogenesis. Over 47% of pistils at anthesis were abnormal in appearance. By 24 h after anthesis, many pollen grains had germinated on the stigmas of normal pistils. The high percentage of abnormal pistils and their low capacity to capture pollen grains may be the main factor in the low seed set of L. chinensis.     

Asynchronous development of stigmatic receptivity in the pear (Pyrus communis; Rosaceae) flower

While stigma anatomy is well documented for a good number of species, little information is available on the acquisition and cessation of stigmatic receptivity. The aim of this work is to characterize the development of stigma receptivity, from anthesis to stigma degeneration, in the pentacarpellar pear (Pyrus communis) flower. Stigma development and stigmatic receptivity were monitored over two consecutive years, as the capacity of the stigmas to offer support for pollen germination and pollen tube growth. In an experiment where hand pollinations were delayed for specified times after anthesis, three different stigmatic developmental stages could be observed: (1) immature stigmas, which allow pollen adhesion but not hydration; (2) receptive stigmas, which allow proper pollen hydration and germination; and (3) degenerated stigmas, in which pollen hydrates and germinates properly, but pollen tube growth is impaired soon after germination. This developmental characterization showed that stigmas in different developmental stages coexist within a flower and that the acquisition and cessation of stigmatic receptivity by each carpel occur in a sequential manner. In this way, while the duration of stigmatic receptivity for each carpel is rather short, the flower has an expanded receptive period. This asynchronous period of receptivity for the different stigmas of a single flower is discussed as a strategy that could serve to maximize pollination resources under unreliable pollination conditions.     

A subtilisin-like serine protease specifically expressed in reproductive organs in rice

To identify genes specifically expressed in flowering pistils and that are related to reproductive phenomena, simplified differential display was performed with cDNA obtained from pistils and ovaries at several stages. One clone preferentially expressed in pistils at flowering and 1 day before flowering was identified as a rice subtilisin-like serine protease (RSP1). Sequence comparisons revealed that RSP1 has several characteristics in common with preproproteins. RT-PCR, northern blot, and in situ hybridization analysis revealed that RSP1 mRNA accumulates in pistils and in the filaments of stamens, whereas mRNA was undetectable in tissue from leaves, roots, panicles, and embryos. The mRNA levels in pistils increased slightly at flowering and decreased afterwards. Possible roles of the subtilisin-like serine protease in plant reproduction are discussed. Received: 27 February 2000 / Revision accepted: 24 October 2000     

Pollination ecology of Agave macroacantha (Agavaceae) in a Mexican tropical desert. I. Floral biology and pollination mechanisms

In a study of sexual reproduction in long-lived semelparous plants, we observed Agave macroacantha in the tropical desert of Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Mexico, describing duration of flowering, flower phenology, and nectar production patterns. We also performed two manipulative experiments evaluating (a) the seed production efficiency of different crossing systems (selfing, cross-pollination, apomixis, and control), and (b) the effect of different pollinators (diurnal exposure to pollinators, nocturnal exposure, exclusion, and control) on the seeds produced. Flowering occurred from early May to late July and had a mean duration of 29 days in the individual rosettes. The flowers were protandrous; anthesis occurred in the afternoon of the third day after floral opening, and the pistils matured in the afternoon of the fifth day. The stigmas remained receptive from dusk to the following morning. Pollination was mostly allogamous. Nectar was produced principally during the night, from the first stages of floral aperture until the stigmas wilted and flowering ceased. The flowers were visited during the day by hymenoptera, butterflies, and hummingbirds and during the night by bats and moths. Only the nocturnal visitors, however, were successful pollinators. Agave macroacantha is extremely dependent on nocturnal pollinators for its reproductive success.     

Ultrastructure of chromoplasts and other plastids in Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae)

Saffron (Crocus sativus L. Iridaceae) chromoplasts and other plastids were studied by electron microscope to determine their structure, origin and pigment localization. Plastids from pistils of floral buds and flowers at anthesis, dried and decoloured stigmas, and green and senescent leaves were examined. Results indicated that mature saffron chromoplasts occur in the red parts of stigmas and have a reticulo-tubular structure. They contain a reticulum of tubules and plastoglobules. Tubules formed dilated vesicles mainly while plastoglobules appeared numerous and scattered on the whole chromoplast. Chromoplasts appeared in red stigma of very young floral buds. They originated from amyloplasts, the only plastids occurring in the colourless basal portion of style, as well as in the parenchyma of ovary and corm. Transition forms of plastid as amylo-chromoplast, occur in the yellow parts of stigma and style. Senescent leaves did not show plastids with structure similar to the chromoplast of red stigma. Red pigmented and scented stigmas might cooperate in saffron reproduction by attracting pollinator.     

An evolutionary perspective on the regulation of carpel development

The carpel, or female reproductive organ enclosing the ovules, is one of the major evolutionary innovations of the flowering plants. The control of carpel development has been intensively studied in the model eudicot species Arabidopsis thaliana. This review traces the evolutionary history of genes involved in carpel development by surveying orthologous genes in taxa whose lineages separated from that of A. thaliana at different levels of the phylogenetic tree of the seed plants. Some aspects of the control of female reproductive development are conserved between the flowering plants and their sister group, the gymnosperms, indicating the presence of these in the common ancestor of the extant seeds plants, some 300 million years ago. Gene duplications that took place in the pre-angiosperm lineage, before the evolution of the first flowering plants, provided novel gene clades of potential importance for the origin of the carpel. Subsequent to the appearance of the first flowering plants, further gene duplications have led to sub-functionalization events, in which pre-existing reproductive functions were shared between paralogous gene clades. In some cases, fluidity in gene function is evident, leading to similar functions in carpel development being controlled by non-orthologous genes in different taxa. In other cases, gene duplication events have created sequences that evolved novel functions by the process of neo-functionalization, thereby generating biodiversity in carpel and fruit structures.     

Molecular re-confirmation and floral characteristics of drooping leaf (DL) mutants generated by insertional mutagenesis in rice

Transposon tagging and insertional mutagenesis provide one of the most powerful tools in gene function studies. Here, we report a comparison between two novel drooping leaf (DL) mutants from transposon and T-DNA insertion lines of rice. DL is distinct from well-known ABC genes and a member of the YABBY gene family, and it is closely related to the CRABS CLAW (CRC) gene of Arabidopsis thaliana. Based on phenotypic analysis, DL regulated midrib formation by promoting cell proliferation in the central region of rice leaf and was necessary for the specification of carpel identity. We identified two DL mutants by screening the Ac/Ds and T-DNA insertional mutant pool of rice. Flanking sequence tag analysis indicated that both Ds and T-DNA segments were inserted in the promoter region at 3.4 kbs and 5.4 kb upstream, respectively, of the previously known OsYABBY domain. Interestingly, the progenies of DL lines of two different pools showed various degrees of leaf drooping and abnormal carpel formation. Flower structures revealed that there were more than two stigmas with normal stamens and pistils per panicle in the Ds-induced mutants. However, T-DNA induced mutant had extra stamens with staminoid carpels. These results indicate that the promoter region of DL plays an important function in regulating anther and carpel formation.     

Different regulatory processes control pollen hydration and germination in Arabidopsis

To elucidate the functional differences in how Arabidopsis stigmas regulate pollen hydration and germination, we analyzed receptivity of stigmas, epidermal surfaces (leaves, stems of inflorescence bolts, and floral organs), and an abiotic surface (cover glass) for pollen hydration and germination. Using 65% relative humidity (RH), we found that mature pollen grains were able to hydrate and germinate on stigmas at flower developmental stages 9–13, but not on the distal end of pistils at stage 8, epidermal surfaces, or glass. Furthermore, under 100% RH, pollen grains could hydrate on all tested surfaces, but pollen germination was observed only on the young floral organs (stages 9–12) and the stigmas at stages 9–13. The distal ends of pistils at stage 8, the epidermal surfaces, and the cover glass did not support pollen germination even under 100% RH. Our results indicate that pistil factors regulating pollen hydration and germination are synthesized at stage 9 when stigmatic papillar cells begin to develop. Although pistil factors involved in pollen hydration may only be present on the stigma, the factors involved in pollen germination may localize on both the stigma and surfaces of unopened floral organs.