| Abstract: | The early floral ontogeny of three subfamilies, viz. Verbenoideae, Viticoideae and Caryopteridoideae of Verbenaceae (s.l.), was compared. Two differently initiated patterns were found. In the present species of Verbenoideae, there is a unidirectional sequence of organogenesis, from abaxial to adaxial side of the floral apex. While the abaxial paired sepal, petal and stamen arise sequentially, the adaxial paired sepal, petal and stamen do not appear or appear in a much earlier stage. The centripetal whorled sequence of organogenesis appears in Viticoideae and Caryopteridoideae, where sepal primordia arise simultaneously or successively (from adaxial to abaxial). After completion of sepal initiation a plastochron is indicated, during which time a change to the induction of petal takes place, and five petals appear simultaneously, followed by initiation of four stamens. Events of floral organogenesis support the phylogeny inferred from morphological data and rbcL sequence analysis, i.e. the subfamily Verbenoideae does not form a monophyletic group with the subfamilies Viticoideae and Caryopteridoideae. |
