Comparative flower micromorphology and anatomy in Hymenocallis spesiosa and Narcissus pseudonarcissus (Amaryllidaceae)
Abstract
O. Fishchuk* and A. Odintsova
The structure of the flower parts of Hymenocallis speciosa (L. f. ex Salisb.) Salisb. and Narcissus pseudonarcissus L. were examined under light microscopy on permanent preparation of transverse and longitudinal sections of the flower. The work aimed to find out the features of the flower micromorphology and anatomy, the internal structure of the gynoecium in family members, which have not yet been studied in this aspect, and conduct a comparative analysis with the studied family members. The flowers of the studied species are three-merous and have the same structure, with a tubular perigonium, the inferior ovary, but differ in the structure of the corona (formed from stamens in Hymenocallis speciosa and perigonium in Narcissus pseudonarcissus). Stamens and tepals are six. Stamens attached to the perigonium tube. The most significant difference is shown by the vertical gynoecium zonality of the studied species, namely, the presence and relative height of the vertical zones in the ovary. Namely, in Hymenocallis speciosa, most of the ovary is formed by a hemisymplicate zone, there is no synascidiate zone in the ovary, two basal ovules, septal nectaries are located almost from the ovary base to the style base. In Narcissus pseudonarcissus, we found all zones of eusuncarpous gynoecium, synastidiate, symplicate and hemisymplicate, with many ovules and septal nectaries located at the top of the ovary. In both species, the asymplicate (apocarpous) zone forms a style above the opening of the nectary cavities to the outside and a stigma. The septal nectaries in Hymenocallis speciosa and Narcissus pseudonarcissus are long, non-labyrinthine, "lilioid"-type, with an apical output channel. The vascular system of the studied species has significant similarities, in particular, multibundled traces of tepals, formation of stamens traces, and dorsal vascular carpels bundles at the base of the inferior ovary, which supply the ovules and septal nectaries from paired ventral vascular carpels bundles which formed at the ovary base from vascular bundles of the ventral complex. Narcissus pseudonarcissus flower is similar to the representatives of the tribe Galantheae - Galanthus nivalis, and Leucojum vernum, studied earlier in the presence of synascidiate symplicate vertical ovary zones, numerous ovules, and aerenchyma in the flower organs.