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Anatomy of the floral nectaries of some neotropical Salacioideae (Celastraceae)

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Abstract

Floral nectaries have contributed to the systematics of different taxonomic groups. Since those of the neotropical genera included in subfamily Salacioideae—Cheiloclinium Miers, Peritassa Miers, Salacia L. and Tontelea Aubl.—have different forms and positions, we explored their anatomy to delimit more precisely the genera of subfamily Salacioideae. Buds and open flowers of six species were treated following the usual techniques in plant anatomy. The obtained data were helpful in characterizing the floral nectary anatomy of the studied species. Furthermore, some features such as form, position and surface of nectaries; form of their epidermal cells; presence and distribution of stomata; occurrence of idioblasts containing druses in the nectariferous parenchyma; and absence of nectary vascularization can contribute to the taxonomy and phylogeny of the Salacioideae studied. In most of the studied species the nectar is probably released by both the stomata and the nectary epidermal surface. In Cheiloclinium cognatum, the structure acknowledged as nectary is actually a vestigial tissue and the functions of attracting and rewarding pollinators has phylogenetically migrated to the stigmatic region. The druses and phenolic substances observed in the nectariferous parenchyma probably help defend flowers against herbivore attacks. The minute size of the nectaries of Salacioideae may explain the absence of vascularization. The floral nectaries of Salacia elliptica are epithelial while those of the other species are mesenchymal.

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Acknowledgments

We thank CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) for a doctoral fellowship to Sandra M. A. Gomes; and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development) for research fellowship grants (300220/2003-0, 306395/2006-1, and 300240/2009-0) to Julio A. Lombardi.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Botânica, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Centro Politécnico, UFPR, C. Postal 19031, Cep. 81531-900, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Sandra Maria Alvarenga Gomes

  2. Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP, C. Postal 199, Cep.: 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil

    Julio Antonio Lombardi

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  1. Sandra Maria Alvarenga Gomes
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  2. Julio Antonio Lombardi
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Correspondence to Sandra Maria Alvarenga Gomes.

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Part of the S. M. A. Gomes doctoral thesis, presented at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.

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Gomes, S.M.A., Lombardi, J.A. Anatomy of the floral nectaries of some neotropical Salacioideae (Celastraceae). Plant Syst Evol 299, 515–528 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-012-0740-3

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