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Abstract Detail



Developmental and Structural Section

Rodriguez, Hevony [1], Cohen, Jim [2].

Comparative floral development of heterostylous species in Houstonia (Rubiaceae).

Heterostyly is a complex and elegant type of plant breeding system that involves two or three morphs that exhibit the reciprocal placement of anther and stigma heights in flowers of different individuals of the same species. Heterostyly is known from 28 families of angiosperms, and Rubiaceae includes the greatest number of heterostylous species. In Houstonia, a temperate genus of Rubiaceae, heterostyly is resolved as ancestral; however, the flowers of heterostylous species differ in size, suggesting that floral developmental patterns of the heterostylous species may differ. To investigate these floral developmental patterns, three species of Houstonia were studied. Using light microscopy to examine gross floral and anatomical sections, corolla height, filament length, style length, and stigma length were measured. Cell lengths and the numbers of cells that contribute to the differences in position and length of the floral organs were measured and calculated, respectively. Although the species are derived from a common heterostylous ancestor, macroscopic patterns of floral development provide evidence that growth patterns of the three species differ. These differences are primarily observed later in development, at which time the rate of stylar growth in the short-style morph may either slow or cease, depending on the species and size of the flower.

Broader Impacts:


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1 - Texas A&M International University
2 - 7614 Laguna Del Mar Ct., Apt. 214, Laredo, TX, 78041, USA

Keywords:
Heterostyly
Rubiaceae
Houstonia
Floral development.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Grand Salon A - D/Riverside Hilton
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2013
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PDS016
Abstract ID:674
Candidate for Awards:None


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