莲的心皮发育

莲是一种起源很早的双子叶植物,由于形态独特,又具有和单子叶植物相似的特征,很早便为分类学家所注意。但在讨论有关莲的问题时,不少学者只是用其已成长的花部器官作为依据的.对于与莲个体发育和系统演化有重大关系的心皮和花托的早期发育过程,却缺乏报道。为此,我们试图在前人研究的基础上,着重对莲的心皮和花托的整个发育过程进行观察,为研究莲属植物的系统演化,以及莲的传粉、受精等方面提供依据。     

观察“心皮是变态叶”的好材料——日本晚樱

在讲授花的概念和结构时,我们说花是适应于生殖的变态短枝．花的各个组成部分是叶的变态。花萼、花冠是叶的变态,学生较易理解接受,而雄蕊和雌蕊是叶的变态,学生难以理解。而“心皮”是我们学习植物学必须掌握的一个名词。它是构成雌蕊的基本单位,是具有生殖作用的变态叶。究竟为什么说“心皮是变态叶”．很多学生更是无法理解。笔者通过认真地观察,发现了一种观察“心皮是变态叶”的好材料——日本晚樱。     

漫谈植物的心皮

在显花植物中,花内着生胚珠的器官叫做心皮.心皮又称为大孢子叶,它是构成雌蕊群的基本单位,是一原始的伸长的变态叶.心皮在茎上的着生位置、排列,维管束的联系、解剖和个体发育均同叶与茎的关系一样.组成雌蕊群的心皮数目,因植物种类不同而异,有的雌蕊群由一个心皮组成,如大豆等;有的由二个或二个以上的心皮组成,如油菜、柑橘等.如果一朵花中有两个或两个以上的心皮,它们可以是彼此分离的,形成离生心皮雌蕊,如毛茛、八角茴香等;也可以是相互连合的,形成合生心皮雌蕊,如梨、苹果等.     

香石竹雌蕊特征新发现

对于香石竹雌蕊心皮数目,不同植物志说法略有不同,目前尚无定论。本文对不同花色的香石竹雌蕊心皮数目及形态特征进行观察,发现香石竹的心皮数目随品种变化而异。在两种基本的花形态中,心皮数目存在不同的变异程度。文章讨论了其可能的形成机理,为进一步深入了解提供参考。     

阔叶杨桐衍生胎座的发育特征(五列木科)

为观察五列木科阔叶杨桐子房中衍生胎座的发育过程,探明衍生胎座与心皮源胎座及特立中央胎座的关系,该研究采用扫描电子显微镜和体视显微镜相结合的方法,详细观察了阔叶杨桐的花芽和成熟果实。花芽采集后经FAA固定、酒精-乙酸异戊酯梯度脱水、液体CO_2干燥、扫描电子显微镜下观察;将成熟果实直接在体视显微镜下解剖观察。结果表明:阔叶杨桐花芽发育过程中,雄蕊原基发生后,5心皮快速发生,先愈合形成上部具有中轴胎座、下部是空腔的子房;接着心皮上长出胎座(心皮源胎座),在其下部空腔内与心皮相对的位置,花托顶端出现多个凸起,并逐渐愈合成半球形的衍生胎座,心皮源胎座和衍生胎座上出现多枚可育胚珠。成熟果实中,心皮源胎座和衍生胎座上均有种子,二者之间没有维管束联系。因此,衍生胎座与心皮源胎座独立发生,且晚于心皮源胎座;阔叶杨桐衍生胎座的发育过程不同于石竹科和商陆科的特立中央胎座(中轴胎座隔膜消失形成),而与杜鹃花目报春花科、假轮叶科、杜茎山科和紫金牛科的特立中央胎座类似(在花托顶端直接形成)。     

走出歌德的阴影: 迈向更加科学的植物系统学

传统的植物学理论中, 被子植物雌蕊的基本单位心皮被认为是变态的叶(即大孢子叶)通过纵向对折和内卷演化而来。该理论造成了被子植物和裸子植物之间不可逾越的鸿沟。近年来提出的一统理论认为被子植物的心皮由长胚珠的枝和包裹这个枝的叶共同组成, 从而弥合了被子植物与裸子植物之间的鸿沟。最近, 当代植物学界两大权威人物Peter R. Crane和Peter K. Endress分别撰文, 发表了不同于传统理论的观点。Endress认为, 心皮由胚珠和叶性器官组成; 而Crane认为, 所有的胚珠都长在枝上。结合二者的结论, 不难得出“心皮实际上等同于一个长胚珠的枝加上一个叶”的论断。这在某种意义上等于认同了一统理论的观点。两位权威人物观点的转变预示着植物学理论将很快发生根本性的转变。该文向国内植物学同行通报这一最新动态, 以期让我国学者能够了解最新理论。     

走出歌德的阴影:迈向更加科学的植物系统学

传统的植物学理论中,被子植物雌蕊的基本单位心皮被认为是变态的叶(即大孢子叶)通过纵向对折和内卷演化而来。该理论造成了被子植物和裸子植物之间不可逾越的鸿沟。近年来提出的一统理论认为被子植物的心皮由长胚珠的枝和包裹这个枝的叶共同组成,从而弥合了被子植物与裸子植物之间的鸿沟。最近,当代植物学界两大权威人物Peter R. Crane和PeterK.Endress分别撰文,发表了不同于传统理论的观点。Endress认为,心皮由胚珠和叶性器官组成;而Crane认为,所有的胚珠都长在枝上。结合二者的结论,不难得出"心皮实际上等同于一个长胚珠的枝加上一个叶"的论断。这在某种意义上等于认同了一统理论的观点。两位权威人物观点的转变预示着植物学理论将很快发生根本性的转变。该文向国内植物学同行通报这一最新动态,以期让我国学者能够了解最新理论。     

四川乌头属的修订：四川乌头属的系统排列 1．牛扁亚属

多年生直根。萼片无爪,上萼片圆筒形、高盔形或稀船形。花瓣的瓣片顶端有分泌组织,无或有向后弯曲的距;唇线形或不明显。心皮3(-6-8)。     

荷花“重瓣化”的花器官形态发育比较观察

荷花（Nelumbo nucifera）的花型可分5种,最原始为单瓣型,然后由单瓣演化出半重瓣、重瓣、重台和千瓣型。为了揭示荷花重瓣化的分子机理,有必要从花器官的形态发育特征探究荷花花型成因及“重瓣化”的形态发育特征。实验分别选取5种荷花花型的代表品种：‘单洒锦’（单瓣型）、‘大洒锦’（重瓣型）、‘中山红台’（重台型）、‘至尊千瓣’（全重瓣型）、‘千瓣莲’（千瓣型）为材料,进行花芽分化过程形态的石蜡切片比较观察。结果发现：花芽分化过程中5个品种的萼片原基分化期和花瓣原基分化期相似,而雄蕊和雌蕊原基发育存在明显差异：单瓣、重瓣和重台品种均有正常的雄蕊和雌蕊原基分化;全重瓣品种发育初期有雄蕊及雌蕊原基分化,但后期全部瓣化;‘千瓣莲’品种不形成雄蕊和雌蕊原基,而是直接形成2至多个“花瓣增殖中心”,并由此不断分化出细小花瓣。研究认为重瓣型荷花品种的“重瓣化”花瓣主要来源于雄蕊的向心式瓣化,其次是雌蕊瓣化,属于雌雄蕊起源。而对于‘千瓣莲’型品种,花瓣的具体来源方式、花托是否直接参与瓣化及其在重瓣化过程中的作用有待于结合分子生物学手段开展进一步研究。     

华中五味子（五味子科）雄花和雌花的形态发生

通过扫描电镜观察了中国特有种华中五味子（ＳｃｈｉｓａｎｄｒａｓｐｈｅｎａｎｔｈｅｒａＲｅｈｄｅｔ．Ｗｉｌｓ）,雄花和雌花的形态发生过程,雄花：花被片和雄蕊连续向顶发生,未见有雌性结构的分化,花药的分化先花丝,雄蕊始终螺旋状排列在柱状花托上,雌花：花被片和心皮也为２／５序列连续地螺旋状向顶发生,未见有雄性结构的分化,心皮原基近轴面基部边缘的活动不明显,心皮为对折型：胚珠原基在心皮近轴面上近边缘处发生     

Within-carpel and among-carpel competition during seed development, and selection on carpel number, in the apocarpous perennial herb Helleborus foetidus L. (Ranunculaceae)

Apocarpous flowers share opportunities for post-fertilization ovule selection among more functional levels than syncarpous flowers, because the occurrence of a variable number of unfused carpels adds a new source of variation to the likelihood of successful female reproduction. The extent to which post-fertilization events might differ among these unfused carpels may promote variations in the reproductive strategies of plants. We report a study of the variation, within and among carpels and flowers, in seed production and mass in the apocarpous Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae), in relation to the number of carpels per flower. Differences within and among carpels in female reproductive success were affected by carpel number and pollination environment. When analysing whole flowers as functional units we also found that the magnitude of the differences related to carpel number and pollination treatment actually depended on the “distribution” of pollen types within flowers. Thus, variable within-flower pollination environments, more likely to occur in apocarpous than in syncarpous flowers, may affect the strategies of resource allocation for fruit development at different stages of the reproductive process. Regarding seed production, we found that producing more flowers with four carpels was under directional; however, when mean diaspore mass was considered as a measure of fitness, directional selection was found on producing flowers with two and three carpels (the modal carpel number found in wild populations). We discuss ecological and developmental reasons which could explain the observed pattern, and conclude that selection on an optimum carpel number may be very variable across the species range, as the discussed reasons may impose constraints on eventual evolutionary response, thus contributing to the maintenance of the intra-individual variability in carpel number.     

Pistillate and staminate flower development in dioecious Pistacia vera (Anacardiaceae)

The development of staminate and pistillate flowers in the dioecious tree species Pistacia vera L. (Anacardiaceae) was studied by scanning electron microscopy with the objective of determining organogenetic patterns and phenology of floral differentiation. Flower primordia are initiated similarly in trees of both sexes. Stamen and carpel primordia are initiated in both male and female flowers, and the phenology of organ initiation is essentially identical for flowers of both sexes. Vestigial stamen primordia arise at the flanks of pistillate flower apices at the same time functional stamens are initiated in the staminate flowers. Similarly, a vestigial carpel is initiated in staminate flowers at the same time the primary, functional carpel is initiated in pistillate flower primordia. Differences between the two sexes become apparent early in development as, in both cases, development of organs of the opposite sex becomes arrested at the primordial stage. Male flowers produce between four and six mature functional stamens and female flowers produce a gynoecium with one functional and two sterile carpels.     

黄瓜雄花形成过程中心皮的发育

黄瓜(Cucumis sativus L.)为重要的经济作物,雌雄同株异花,是研究植物性别分化的经典材料。人们对黄瓜性别分化进行了广泛的研究。Astmon和Galun、任吉君和王艳对黄瓜性别分化的形态特征和器官发生进行了初步研究,表明黄瓜单性花分化和发育过程中经历了无性期、两性期和单性期,最终只有一种性别的性器官原基发育成有功能的性器官,从而形成单性花,而对单性花中未形成有功能器官的相反性别原基的研究报道甚少。我们对雄花发育过程进行了连续的形态学分析,并对不同时期雄花中的心皮进行了细胞计数和同工酶电泳分析,以期从性器官发育的角度探讨黄瓜性别表现的机理。     

黄瓜雄花形成过程中心皮的发育

黄瓜(Cucumis sativus L)为重要的经济作物,雌雄同株异花,是研究植物性别分化的经典材料。人们对黄瓜性别分化进行了广泛的研究。Astmon和Galun,任吉君和王艳对黄瓜性别分化的形态特征和器官发生进行了初步研究,表明黄瓜单性花分化和发育过程中经历了无性期、两性期和单性期,最     

Comparative floral development in male and female plants of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri)

Premise

Characterizing the developmental processes in the transition from hermaphroditism to unisexuality is crucial for understanding floral evolution. Amaranthus palmeri, one of the most devastating weeds in the United States, is an emerging model system for studying a dioecious breeding system and understanding the biological traits of this invasive weed. The objectives of this study were to characterize phases of flower development in A. palmeri and compare organogenesis of flower development in female and male plants.

Methods

Flower buds from male and female plants were dissected for light microscopy. Segments of male and female inflorescences at different stages of development were cut longitudinally and visualized using scanning electron microscopy.

Results

Pistillate flowers have two to three styles, one ovary with one ovule, and five obtuse tepals. Staminate flowers have five stamens with five acute tepals. Floral development was classified into 10 stages. The distinction between the two flower types became apparent at stage four by the formation of stamen primordia in staminate flowers, which developed female and male reproductive organs initially, as contrasted to pistillate flowers, which produced carpel primordia only. In staminate flowers, the putative carpel primordia changed little in size and remained undeveloped.

Conclusions

Timing of inappropriate organ termination varies across the two sexes in A. palmeri. Our study suggests that the evolution of A. palmeri from a cosexual ancestral state to complete dioecy is still in progress since males exhibited transient hermaphroditism and females produced strictly pistillate flowers.     

Changes in polyamine pattern mediates sex differentiation and unisexual flower development in monoecious cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Changes in the levels of polyamines are associated with fundamental physiological processes such as embryogenesis, induction of flowering, fruit development and ripening, senescence, and responses to environmental stresses, but the role of polyamines in sex differentiation and unisexual flower development has not been deeply studied. To extend the knowledge on the regulatory mechanisms of flowering in monoecious plant (producing unisexual flowers), we investigated the morphogenesis and free polyamine levels in Cucumis sativus during sex differentiation and unisexual flower development in vitro using histocytological and biochemical methods. As shown in our study, floral development in vitro was undisturbed and flowers of both sexes were produced. Sex differentiation relied on preventing the development of generative organs of the opposite sex, as we observed carpel repression in male flowers and stamen repression in female flowers. Pollen viability was negatively correlated with female flower development on the same node. Biochemical analysis revealed increased accumulation of aliphatic amines (tri, tetra‐amines) in generative (flower buds and flowers) compare to vegetative (axillary buds and leaves) organs. Undifferentiated floral buds contained elevated levels of agmatine, cadaverine, spermidine and spermine. Sex differentiation was associated with significantly decreased levels of agmatine and cadaverine. Our results showed that female flowers contained higher levels of total polyamine than male flowers. The increased level of cadaverine was associated with macrogametogenesis and female flower maturation. Putrescine was important for male flower development. Such results support the hypothesis that aliphatic amines are involved in unisexual flower development.     

THE DEVELOPMENTAL BASIS FOR SEXUAL EXPRESSION IN CERATONIA SILIQUA (LEGUMINOSAE: CAESALPINIOIDEAE: CASSIEAE)

The flowers of Ceratonia siliqua, an anomalous caesalpinioid legume in the tribe Cassieae, are unusual in being unisexual and in lacking petals. Inflorescence development, organogeny, and flower development are described for this species. All flowers are originally bisexual, but one sex is suppressed during late development of functionally male and female flowers. Ceratonia siliqua is highly plastic in sexuality of individuals, inflorescence branching pattern, racemose or cymose inflorescences, bracteole presence, terminal flower presence, organ number per whorl, missing floral organs, pollen grain form, and carpel cleft orientation. Order of initiation is: five sepals in helical order, then five stamens in helical order together with the carpel. Each stamen is initiated as two alternisepalous primordia that fuse to become a continuous antesepalous ridge; in some flowers, the last one or two stamens of the five may form as individual antesepalous mounds. Petal rudiments are occasional in mature flowers. Position of organs is atypical: the median sepal is on the adaxial side in Ceratonia, rather than abaxial as in most other caesalpinioids. This feature in Ceratonia may be viewed as a link to subfamily Mimosoideae, in which this character state is constant.     

荷花“重瓣化”的花器官形态发育比较观察

荷花（Nelumbo nucifera）的花型可分5种,最原始为单瓣型,然后由单瓣演化出半重瓣、重瓣、重台和千瓣型。为了揭示荷花重瓣化的分子机理,有必要从花器官的形态发育特征探究荷花花型成因及“重瓣化”的形态发育特征。实验分别选取5种荷花花型的代表品种：‘单洒锦’ （单瓣型）、‘大洒锦’ （重瓣型）、‘中山红台’ （重台型）、‘至尊千瓣’ （全重瓣型）、‘千瓣莲’ （千瓣型） 为材料,进行花芽分化过程形态的石蜡切片比较观察。结果发现：花芽分化过程中5个品种的萼片原基分化期和花瓣原基分化期相似,而雄蕊和雌蕊原基发育存在明显差异：单瓣、重瓣和重台品种均有正常的雄蕊和雌蕊原基分化;全重瓣品种发育初期有雄蕊及雌蕊原基分化,但后期全部瓣化;‘千瓣莲’品种不形成雄蕊和雌蕊原基,而是直接形成2至多个“花瓣增殖中心”,并由此不断分化出细小花瓣。研究认为重瓣型荷花品种的“重瓣化”花瓣主要来源于雄蕊的向心式瓣化,其次是雌蕊瓣化,属于雌雄蕊起源。而对于‘千瓣莲’型品种,花瓣的具体来源方式、花托是否直接参与瓣化及其在重瓣化过程中的作用有待于结合分子生物学手段开展进一步研究。     

Variation in structural gender in the hermaphrodite Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae): within- and among-population patterns

In hermaphrodite plants, variations in structural gender (defined as the ratio between male and female gametes) may occur at different levels (among flowers, plants, and populations). In this study, we investigated variation in four traits influencing structural gender (number of carpels, ovules per carpel, stamens, and pollen grains per stamen) within and among six distant populations of the hermaphrodite perennial herb Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae) in the Iberian Peninsula. Our results show that the four traits investigated varied significantly at all levels considered. Traits influencing the female sexual component (number of carpels and ovules per carpel) showed greater variation at the lowermost levels (within flower and plant) than traits influencing the male component, which in turn varied more markedly among populations. Number of carpels per flower and number of pollen grains per anther were the most important traits affecting between-plant variation in structural gender. There was no evidence of significant plant-level trade-offs or correlations between the various male and female traits, which covaried differently across populations. The observed between-population variation in structural gender of Helleborus foetidus can be explained as a consequence of differences in self-pollination levels related to a flowers mating environment.