Pollen and microsporangium development in Ziziphus jujuba, Z. mucronata, Paliurus spina-christi and Gouania ulmifolia (Rhamnaceae).

The aim of this paper is to investigate the ultrastructural events that occur during pollen grains development, with emphasis in pollen grain wall and tapetum ontogeny in Ziziphus jujuba, Z. mucronata, Paliurus spina-christi (Paliureae) and Gouania ulmifolia (Gouanieae). Anthers at different developmental stages were processed according to classic techniques for transmission electron microscopy. Differences in the number of endothecium layers and in the number of tapetal cell nuclei were found. Tapetal cells present an anastomosing tubular network and large vesicles with fibrillar content in the cytoplasm. Pollen grain development and ontogeny of pollen grain wall are similar in the four species. The number of endothecium layers, the number of nuclei of the tapetal cells and tapetal cells ultrastructure of the four species support the phylogenetic relationships previously published for the Rhamnaceae family. Tapetal vesicles with fibrillar or polysaccharide content seem to be an exclusive characteristic of the tribes Paliureae and Gouanieae. Some ultrastructural characters of the pollen grain wall development are common to other species of Rhamnaceae, such as the primexine matrix present at the microspore mother cell stage, the aperture entirely built up during the tetrad stage, the thick and fibrillar intine, and the granular infractectum.

Structure of the style and pollen tube pathway in the Ziziphoid and Rhamnoid clades of Rhamnaceae.

The ultrastructure of the style and pollen tube pathway before, during and after anthesis were studied in 13 species belonging to the tribes Pomaderreae, Paliureae, Colletieae and Gouanieae (Ziziphoid clade) and Rhamneae (Rhamnoid clade) using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The aim of this study is to provide new morphological characters useful for phylogenetic analysis at suprageneric level in Rhamnaceae. The patterns of pollen tube growth and the ultrastructural changes undergone by cells of the style were also described. Species of Rhamneae (Scutia buxifolia and Condalia buxifolia) have a solid style, with the transmitting tissue forming three independent strands (S. buxifolia) or a central, single horseshoe-shaped strand as seen in transversal section (C. buxifolia) which could derive from the fusion of formerly independent strands. In contrast, Pomaderreae, Gouanieae and Paliureae showed semi-solid styles, while in Colletieae, as previously reported, the style is hollow with two or three stylar canals. The style anatomy and the ultrastructure of the pollen tube pathway show that there is a tendency towards a solid style with a single strand of transmitting tissue within the family. The three-canalled hollow style could be the plesiomorphic state of the character "type of style" in the family, the semi-solid style the synapomorphic state and the solid style with three strands of transmitting tissue the apomorphic state, with the solid style with a single strand of transmitting tissue as the most derived state. Therefore, Colletieae would be the most basal tribe of the Ziziphoid clade.

Pollen and microsporangium development in Hovenia dulcis (Rhamnaceae): a different type of tapetal cell ultrastructure.

Despite that there is some literature on pollen morphology of Rhamnaceae, studies addressing general aspects of the microsporogenesis, microgametogenesis, and anther development are rare. The aim of this paper is to describe the ultrastructure of pollen grain ontogeny with special attention to tapetum cytology in Hovenia dulcis. Anthers at different stages of development were processed for transmission and scanning electron microscopy, bright-field microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy. Different histochemical reactions were carried out. The ultrastructural changes observed during the development of the tapetal cells and pollen grains are described. Large vesicles containing carbohydrates occur in the tapetal cell cytoplasm during the early stages of pollen development. Its origin and composition are described and discussed. This is the first report on the ontogeny and ultrastructure of the pollen grain and related sporophytic structures of H. dulcis.

Pollen, tapetum and orbicule development in Modiolastrum malvifolium (Malvaceae).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although orbicular functions are still a matter of debate, they are considered by most authors to be exclusively formed by a secretory tapetum. However, the presence of orbicules on a peritapetal membrane associated with a plasmodial tapetum has been described for Abutilon pictum (Malvaceae) in a previous study. Thus, studies on other species of Malvaceae are necessary to corroborate the presence of such bodies in other members of the family. Pollen and microsporangium development of Modiolastrum malvifolium has been studied in this work. METHODS: Anthers at different stages of development were processed for transmission electron microscopy and light microscopy. Membranes and pollen walls resistant to acetolysis were isolated from whole anthers. KEY RESULTS: Microspore tetrads have a tetrahedral arrangement. Pollen grains are shed at the bicellular stage. The tapetum is invasive, non-syncytial and a peritapetal membrane with orbicules is formed. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of the presence of orbicules on a peritapetal membrane in a species with a tapetum of an invasive, non-syncytial type. Taking into consideration all the information on the subject, it can be concluded that the presence of orbicules is not a stable criterion to differentiate between a secretory or plasmodial, or intermediate invasive, non-syncytial tapetum.