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Exploring floral morphoanatomy and embryology in wild populations of Chrysolaena flexuosa (Vernonia, Asteraceae): a contribution to understanding its ornamental potential

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Abstract

Chrysolaena flexuosa (Sims.) H. Rob. is a South American species in the tribe Vernonieae, with potential ornamental value: it has attractive inflorescences, is suitable for pot cultivation, and its cypselae are useful for dried flower arrangements. Apart from studies on the growth dynamics of this species under cultivation, chromosome number, DNA content, ploidy level, size, pollen viability, and the characterization of phenotypic and genetic variability, it is noteworthy that other aspects regarding the floral architecture, reproductive mode, and gametophyte formation of C. flexuosa have not yet been studied. For this reason, our study encompasses a floral morphoanatomical survey and a comprehensive assessment of gametophyte development in the species. As a result of this study, we report new floral morphotypes, confirming that the morphological variability of the species might be greater than speculated. The morphoanatomy of the androecium and gynoecium and the male and female gametophyte developmental characteristics are uniform in all the populations studied despite the different ploidy levels. Chrysolaena flexuosa has five tetrasporangiate stamens of the dicotyledonous type of development; all the populations studied displayed a unilocular inferior ovary with a single anatropous, unitegumented, and tenuinucellar ovule. Given that all the embryo sacs observed were of the Polygonum-type development regardless of the ploidy level, we infer that the populations analyzed are fertile and undergo sexual reproduction. Our results not only contribute further research in the field of breeding systems and propagation of this species, but also promote the successful introduction of C. flexuosa to the plant ornamental market.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Rosemary Scoffield for critically reading the English manuscript. The author is also very grateful for the doctoral fellowship awarded by CONICET.

Funding

This research has been supported by the Secretaría General de Ciencia y Técnica de la Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (PI No. 19-P005) and the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (PIP No. 112–2020-0102838).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Sargento Cabral 2131, CC 209, 3400, Corrientes, Argentina

    Yanina de Jesús Pérez, Gisela Via Do Pico, Ana María González & María Betiana Angulo

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Sargento Cabral 2131, CC 209, 3400, Corrientes, Argentina

    Ana María González

  3. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Av. Libertad 5470, CC 209, 3400, Corrientes, Argentina

    Gisela Via Do Pico & María Betiana Angulo

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  1. Yanina de Jesús Pérez
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  2. Gisela Via Do Pico
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  3. Ana María González
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  4. María Betiana Angulo
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Contributions

YJP collected the plant material; performed the histological preparations; analyzed, interpreted, and photographed the results to prepare the figures; and finally wrote the initial version of the manuscript. GVP supplied the taxonomic data of the analyzed species and reviewed and collaborated in the drafting of the manuscript. AMG helped to interpret the results and reviewed and contributed to the discussions. MBA reviewed the manuscript, collaborated to interpret the results, and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yanina de Jesús Pérez.

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Pérez, Y.d., Via Do Pico, G., González, A.M. et al. Exploring floral morphoanatomy and embryology in wild populations of Chrysolaena flexuosa (Vernonia, Asteraceae): a contribution to understanding its ornamental potential. Protoplasma (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-024-01937-y

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