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| Author(s): |
Giseli Donizete Pedersoli
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Ribeirão Preto. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC) |
| Defense date: | 2017-12-08 |
| Examining board members: |
Simone de Pádua Teixeira;
Ana Paula de Souza Caetano;
Carolina Ferreira Gomes;
Vidal de Freitas Mansano;
Juliana Villela Paulino
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| Advisor: | Simone de Pádua Teixeira |
| Abstract | |
Most species of Urticaceae, the nettle family, exhibit very small and inconspicuous diclinous flowers, which vary in number of organs, mainly in relation to the perianth and androecium (loss or union of organs). Pseudomonomerous gynoecium, that is, initiation of two or rarely three carpels in the floral meristem, but with only one carpel containing ovule, is described for the family. Another noteworthy characteristic reported for the family is the presence of a pistillodium in staminate flowers. The objective of this work was to study the morphology of the developing flower of different species of Urticaceae in order to better understand: (1) the vias that lead to a great floral reduction exhibited by the group, (2) if the development may explain the formation of a pseudomonomerous gynoecium, and (3) the pistillodium structure in staminate flowers and its function in the anemophily. For this, 10 species belonging to five tribes of the family were selected, except the Forsskaoleeae tribe. In addition, flowers of two Cannabaceae species (Celtis iguanaea and Trema micrantha) and one Moraceae species (Morus nigra) were sampled. Buds and flowers were collected and prepared for examination under scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Vascularization was also studied by means of a micro-CT. In all studied species, except for the pistillate flower of Phenax sonneratii, organs of only one whorl of the perianth initiate; the variation in the merosity of the perianth (2-5) results from absence of organs from the beginning of development. The dicliny results of the absence of stamens from the beginning of development in pistillate flower, except for Pilea cadierei (stamen abortion), and pistil abortion occurs in the intermediate stages of development in the staminate flower, with the exception of Cecropia pachystachya and Coussapoa microcarpa. The pseudomonomerous gynoecium is characterized by the initiation of a carpel primordium that divided into two in Cecropia pachystachya, Coussapoa microcarpa, Laportea aestuans, Myriocarpa stipitata, Pourouma cecropiifolia, Urera baccifera and Urtica dioica; in Boehmeria cylindrica, Phenax sonneratii and Pilea cadierei apparently does not occur a division of the carpel primordium. Vascularization studies showed that in all species a vascular bundle enters the gynoecium, branching in two soon in the basal portion, one goes to the ovule and the other goes to the style and stigma; exceptions are Myriocarpa stipitata and Urtica dioica, in which two vascular bundles enter the pistil: one branches in two, one enters the ovule and the other goes to the style and stigma, and the other goes straight to the style and stigma. This second condition would be expected for a pseudomonomerous gynoecium. Pistillodium are present in the staminate flowers of Boehmeria cylindrica, Myriocarpa stipitata, Laportea aestuans, Urera baccifera and Urtica dioica (Urticaceae), Celtis iguanaea and Trema micrantha (Cannabaceae); and Morus nigra (Moraceae). rudimentary carpels were observed in Phenax sonneratii and Pilea cadierei (Urticaceae); The pistillodium, together with the sepals and stamens, forms an apparatus that acts on the mechanism of explosive release of pollen to be carried by the wind. This apparatus is here considered as a floral synorganization, without a true union between tissues, that should optimize the anemophily, so that the pollen can reache greater distances, avoiding selfpollination and guaranteeing greater genetic variability for these species (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 13/19459-3 - Floral development of Urticaceae Juss. Species |
| Grantee: | Giseli Donizete Pedersoli |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |