First report of glandular staminodes in flowers of Elaeagnaceae (Rosales)

Resumen

Elaeagnaceae is a poorly understood family within the order Rosales, comprising three genera and approximately 102 monoecious or dioecious species, with flowers that are either diclinous or monoclinous and actinomorphic. Pistillate flowers are typically described as lacking stamens. This study aims to investigate the morphology of developing pistillate flowers in Hippophae rhamnoides and H. salicifolia, examining the absence of stamens from an ontogenetic perspective. Floral buds and flowers were processed for surface and anatomical analysis. No individualized stamen primordia were observed in the floral meristem. However, both species exhibit staminodes, which appear as protrusions on the inner surface of the sepals during late stages of development. These staminodes are glandular, consisting of a uniseriate secretory papillose epidermis. There is no formation of anthers or pollen. Since these species are wind-pollinated, the staminodes do not play a role in attracting pollinators. Their position within the tubular calyx, close to the ovary at anthesis, and their persistence with the calyx in the fruit suggest that they may protect the ovule and seed from herbivory. In other species of Rosales, stamen primordia are rapidly aborted without forming staminodes. This work is the first to report this feature in the family.

Citation: Pedersol, G.D., Teixeira, S.P., Leme, F.M., von Balthazar, M. & Schönenberger, J. 2025. First report of glandular staminodes in flowers of Elaeagnaceae (Rosales). Revista Jard. Bot. Nac. Univ. Habana 46 (Número especial 1): 122.

Trabajo presentado en el XIII Congreso Latinoamericano de Botánica. Sesión Estructura, Fisiología y Desarrollo.