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Original Research

Egypt. J. Exp. Biol. (Bot.). 2016; 12(2): 181-191


FLORAL MORPHOLOGY OF SOME TAXA OF CRASSULACEAE

Eman A.K. Karakish, Usama I. El-Magly, Karima A. Hamed, Mohamed A. Salim.




Abstract

The floral anatomical characters in 22 species of Crassulaceae (including nine genera) were investigated. We noticed the presence of vascular complexes in all the studied taxa. These complexes represent fused vascular traces of two entities either radially of the same whorl (as the fused ventral carpellary traces complex) or neighboring tangentially of two or more successive whorls (as the petal median-antepetalous stamen, petal median-dorsal carpellary-nectary scale vascular complex). Theses fused vascular complexes are considered as advanced case. Except in five taxa, the sepal is three-traced; one median and two marginal in the remaining taxa. The marginal bundles show a great diversification in their origin. The petal is one-traced, originates independently in few cases or conjoint with the antepetalous stamen bundles in many cases. The stamen is one-traced, two whorls of bundles; the antepetalous whorl (usually originates with the petal bundle) and the inner antesepalous whorl (the bundles of which originate either from the central stele or conjoint with the lateral carpellary and nectary scale traces in a complex). The carpel is five-traced in all the studied taxa; one dorsal, two ventral and two laterals. Such a case is referred to as a primitive case. The nectary scales supplied each by a number of traces. Such traces usually originate with the dorsal carpellary-petal median-antepetalus stamen traces in a complex. The nectary scales are referred to as of foliar nature. Based on both the source and number of whorls of vascular traces, the studied taxa could be grouped under four groups and nine subgroups. Such grouping proved to be more distinctive. A core position was suggested for the genus Kalanchoe, and the two studied Sedum are more advanced species.

Key words: Crassulaceae, Floral vascularization, Kalanchoe, Nectary scales, Vascular complexes.






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