Anatomy and Transpiration of the Avocado Inflorescence

Structure and function of the inflorescence of cv. 'Hass' and'Fuerte' avocado (Persea americana Mill.) were examined by scanningelectron microcopy (SEM) and by porometry. Sepals and petalscould not be distinguished by their position in the flower,by visual gross morphology or by microscopic surface structureand were hence designated as tepals. These tepals were arrangedin two whorls of three, followed by two whorls of three outerand three inner stamens, each opposite a tepal. The most conspicuousfeature of tepals, developing leaves and peduncles was the densecover of hair which were most frequent on the adaxial tepalsurface (925-1200 trichomes mm^-2), followed by their abaxialsurface (625-1000 mm^-2) and peduncles (375-655 mm^-2). Stomatawere absent from the adaxial surfaces of both tepal and leaves,as well as peduncles. On the tepals, abaxial stomata appearedfunctional, small (8-9 x 11-13 µm) and scarce with 2·8-3·4stomata mm^-2, i.e. very low relative to avocado leaves (350-510stomata mm^-2) or young fruit (50-75 stomata mm^-2. However, flowersincluding tepals transpired 1·2-1·3 mmol underfield conditions in Southern California (1·6-2 kPa),i.e. in excess of leaves (0·7-1·1 mmol) and peduncles(0·6-0·8 mmolH₂O m^-2 s^-1). This situation wasattributed to the few small but functional abaxial stomata onthe tepal, in contrast to 80% closed stomata and dense epicuticularwax cover in form of rodlets on young and dendritic crystalson old leaves including the guard cells, and absence of stomatafrom the peduncle.Copyright 1993, 1999 Academic Press Persea americana Mill., avocado, bioenergetics, flower, fruit, leaf, peduncle, scanning electron microscopy, stomata, transpiration, petals, sepals, tepals