Structure of floral nectaries in Aesculus hippocastanum L.

Representatives of the family Sapindaceae exhibit high morphological diversity of the nectary structure. The present paper shows for the first time the results of micromorphological, anatomical, and ultrastructural analyses of floral nectaries in Aesculus hippocastanum. We have also described the forage and signal attractants of these flowers, which are important for the ecology of pollination. Using light, fluorescence, and electron microscopy, we demonstrated that the A. hippocastanum nectary forming a lobed disc is histologically differentiated into the epidermis with stomata, nectariferous parenchyma, subglandular parenchyma, and vascular bundles reaching the basal part of the nectariferous parenchyma. The use of histochemical assays revealed the presence of insoluble polysaccharides, lipids, terpenoids, and polyphenols including coumarins in the nectary tissues. Nectar is exuded onto the nectary surface via stomata and the permeable cuticle. As indicated by the observation of the ultrastructure of the nectary cells, transport of pre-nectar into parenchymal cells may proceed via the symplast and apoplast. We have also demonstrated that nectar transfer outside the protoplasts of parenchymal cells has a character of granulocrine secretion. A. hippocastanum flowers produce nectar abundantly; one flower secreted on average 2.64 mg of nectar and the concentration of sugars in the nectar was 33%

Leaf micromorphology of Aesculus hippocastanum L. and damage caused by leaf-mining larvae of Cameraria ohridella Deschka and Dimić

The present study is a continuation of our research on the structure of healthy leaves of Aesculus hippocastanum and leaves damaged by larvae of Cameraria ohridella. In this study, the epidermal micromorphology of both leaf surfaces in A. hippocastanum was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Light microscopy was used to examine on which side of the leaf blades eggs of Cameraria ohridella were laid. The characteristic features of the adaxial and abaxial epidermis were shown. In the hypostomatic leaves of the studied species, the stomata occurred at a density of 173 × mm-2  and they represented the cyclocytic type. A striated layer of the cuticle was observed only in the adaxial epidermis in which glandular hairs were also present along the midribs. Non-glandular trichomes grew only on the surface of the midribs or in their axils in the abaxial epidermis. We found eggs of C. ohridella only on the adaxial surface of the epidermis. Using SEM, we also observed in the mines leaf tissues damaged by C. ohridella. We found palisade parenchyma to be absent, whereas in the spongy parenchyma there could be seen large intercellular spaces and at places a dense mass of organic matter, formed from damaged cells and larval excrement. The vascular bundles and calcium oxalate crystals remained in the feeding places. We found numerous bacteria, fungal spores and hyphae as well as cleistothecia of Erysiphales in the mines on the surface of the damaged mesophyll. The glandular trichomes occurring only locally on the leaves, the relatively thin cell walls of the epidermis and a not well-developed cuticle layer on their surface do not protect sufficiently these leaves against the invasion of C. ohridella. On the other hand, damaged tissue areas are a convenient place for the growth of bacteria and fungi

Flowering biology and structure of floral nectaries in Galanthus nivalis L.

In Poland Galanthus nivalis L. is partially protected. The flowers of this species are one of the first sources of nectar and pollen for insects from February to April. The aim of this study was to present the flowering biology as well as the topography, anatomical, and ultrastructural features of the floral nectary. The flower lifespan, the breeding system, and the mass of pollen and nectar produced by the flowers were determined. Examination of the nectary structure was performed using light, fluorescence, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The flower of G. nivalis lives for about 30 days. The stamens and pistils mature simultaneously and during this time nectar is secreted. The anthers of one flower produced the large amount of pollen (4 mg). The breeding system of G. nivalis was found to be characterized by partial self-compatibility, outcrossing, and xenogamy. The nectary is located at the top of the inferior ovary. The nectary epidermal cells are characterized by striated cuticular ornamentation. Initially, the secreted nectar formed vesicle-like protuberances under the cuticle. The epidermal and parenchymal cells contain numerous plastids, mitochondria, dictyosomes, ER cisterns, and vesicles fused with the plasmalemma, which indicates granulocrine nectar secretion

Structure of trichomatous nectaries in flowers of Lonicera kamtschatica (Sevast.) Pojark.

The structure of the floral nectaries of Lonicera kamtschatica was examined using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Nectariferous tissues are located in the lower portion of the corolla tube. It was found that the secretory tissue of the nectary was composed of two layers of epidermal formations: short papillae and about 3x longer unicellular trichomes. They cover the adaxial surface of a small spur. Nectar secretion takes place through the apical portion of the trichomes and papillae. The cell wall of the upper part of the trichome has protuberances participating in nectar transfer to the subcuticular space which reaches large dimensions. The lateral walls of the trichomes are saturated with cutin. The papillae have much thicker walls than the trichomes. In the papillae, there are no wall protuberances. Less secretion accumulates in the subcuticular cavities of the papillae than in the trichomes

Nutritive for insects attractantsin Asphodelus albus Miller flowers

The studies on Asphodelus albus Miller flowers were conducted in the Botanical Garden of the UMCS in Lublin in the years 2004-2005. The flower nectaries location was determined in a stereoscopic microscope. The nectaring abundance was studied with a pipette method described by Jabłoński and Szklanowska (1979), while pollen efficiency determined after Warakomska`s ether method (1972). Pollen viability was computed in a sample of 400 grains after acetocarmine staining. The following measurements of pollen grains were made: the length of polar axis (P), equatorial longitudinal axis (EL) and equatorial transverse axis (ET). In Asphodelus albus flowers, there are three nectary glands located in the ovary septa whose outlets are situated in the upper part of the ovary. The nectar secretion starts in a dehiscing bud and persists until the withering stage of perianth leaves. Considering the size of monocolpate pollen grains of Asphodelus albus, they are ranked among great, whereas their shape assumed flattened and circular at the polar view. In the Poland climatic conditions, a pollen showed high vitality (98%). The Asphodelus albus plants constitute a valuable source of nutrition for the pollinators as a single flower generated on average 4,22 mg sugars and 0,2 mg of pollen grains

Plant pollen content in the air of Lublin (central-eastern Poland) and risk of pollen allergy

Pollen monitoring was carried out in Lublin in 2001–2012 by the volumetric method using a Hirst-type spore trap (Lanzoni VPPS 2000). Daily pollen concentrations considerably differed in the particular years. The pollen counts with the biggest variability were observed in the first half of a year when woody plants flowering. The highest annual pollen index were noted for the following taxa: [i]Betula, Urtica,[/i] Pinaceae, Poaceae and [i]Alnus[/i]. [i]Betula[/i] annual total showed the greatest diversity in the study years. The number of days on which the pollen concentration exceeded the threshold values, thereby inducing allergies, was determined for the taxa producing the most allergenic pollen. The above-mentioned taxa primarily included the following: Poaceae, in the case of which the highest number of days with the risk of occurrence of pollen allergy was found (35), [i]Betula[/i] (18), and [i]Artemisia[/i] (10). The following taxa:[i] Alnus[/i] (14 days), [i]Populus[/i] (11 days), [i]Fraxinus[/i] (10 days), and [i]Quercus[/i] (8 days), were also characterized by a large number of days on which their pollen concentrations exceeded the threshold values. The occurrence of periods of high concentration of particular pollen types were also noted. Risk of pollen allergy appeared the earliest at the beginning of February during [i]Alnus [/i]and [i]Corylus[/i] blooming. High concentrations of other woody plants were recorded from the last ten days of March to about 20 May, and of herbaceous plants from the first/last half of May – beginning of October

Micromorphology and histochemical traits of staminal osmophores in Asphodelus aestivus Brot. flower

The conducted studies pertained to micromorphology of the surface of epidermis cells and histological traits of staminal filaments of Asphodelus aestivus Brot. flowers. The structure of the filaments was analyzed in a light microscope (LM) using various histochemical techniques. The morphology of the surface of the epidermis of filaments was observed in scanning electron microscope (SEM). Filaments Asphodelus aestivus accrete together with the basal part of the abaxial surface with the leaves of perianth. Their lower, wider, and flattened part surrounds the ovary. The epidermis of the staminal osmophores creates papilliose cells and unicellular hairs of various sizes. In the uppermost part of these structures, round marks in the cuticle layer after the emission of discharge were observed with the SEM. The outside, convex wall of the isodiametric cells of the epidermis, papillae and hairs was significantly thicker from the remaining walls. It was covered with cuticle of different ornamentation. The cells that created papillae and hairs had a large, centrally located vacuole and a thin layer of cytoplasm with numerous small vacuoles as well as large, often lobed nuclei. In the protoplasts of these cells the presence of plastids and lipid droplets was noted. During the time of secretion of elicitor between the wall and cuticle of the epidermis cells, convex bubbles were formed, in which the secreted substance was accumulated. At the end of secretion, on the surface of papillae, hairs and other cells of the epidermis, irregularly protruding cuticle was observed. It was noted that the composition of staminal osmophores in the flowers of Asphodelus aestivus includes papillae, hairs and cells of the epidermis that do not form papillae