Anatomy of extrafloral nectaries in Fabaceae from dry-seasonal forest in Brazil

Abstract

Extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) are found in many species of Fabaceae. The aim of this work is to describe the internal morphology of the EFNs from species of Fabaceae found in areas of dry-seasonal forest in north-eastern Brazil. All species of Fabaceae with EFNs found were collected and samples were submitted to conventional techniques for anatomical and scanning electronic microscopy analysis. EFNs were found in 35 species, of which 32 were examined anatomically. All types have epidermal cells, secretory tissues and vascular bundles in the EFNs. Sclerenchymatous cells were found between the secretory tissues and the vascular tissues, with a few exceptions. The function of these cells is not clear; however, a role in the transportation of the sap in the nectary or with the support of the secretory tissue is possible. The nectar is released through glandular trichomes, secretory pores or even by breaking the epidermal cells and cuticle. The internal patterns found in the EFNs from different species and genera can provide important information for taxonomic and evolutionary studies in the family.

A study of the morphoanatomical characters of the leaves of Chamaecrista (L.) Moench sect. Apoucouita (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae)

“…Absus subsect. Baseophyllum (Conceição et al 2008) as well as in Leguminosae (Lersten & Brubaker 1987;Pascal et al 2000;Marazzi et al 2006;Melo et al 2010) and other plant families (Keeler & Kaul 1979;Oliveira & Leitão-Filho 1987;So 2004;Weber & Keeler 2013).…”

Morfologia de nectários em Leguminosae senso lato em áreas de caatinga no Brasil

“…A variabilidade morfológica (interna e externa) dos Nefs, incluindo os de Leguminosae, foi ressaltada por autores em ambientes distintos como a Amazônia, a Caatinga e o Cerrado (Oliveira & Leitão-Filho 1987;Lewis & Owen 1989;Morellato & Oliveira 1991;Conceição et al 2008;Machado et al 2008;Melo et al 2010).…”

Beyond pollination: diversity of secretory structures during flower development in different legume lineages

“…2). Interestingly, although their presence is a wide condition in legumes, their distribution and morphology are highly variable and of potential systematic value for some groups such as cavitated trichomes in the genus Bauhinia (Duarte-Almeida et al 2015;Marinho et al 2016) and the trichomes present in species of the Caesalpinia clade (Ragonese 1973;Leelavathi & Ramayya 1983;Lersten & Curtis 1994;1996;Rudall et al 1994;Lewis & Schrire 1995;Simpson & Miao 1997;Pascal et al 2000;Warwick & Lewis 2009;Melo et al 2010) and in the genus Mimosa (Santos-Silva et al 2013). Our reports of floral secretory trichomes are original for 11 of the 15 species studied belonging to the Cassia, Dimorphandra, Mimosoideae and Papilionoideae clades.…”

“…The absence of secretory trichomes in the flowers of Caesalpinia echinata does not reflect the condition of the other species in the Caesalpinia clade, considering that Erythrostemon gilliesii and Poincianella pluviosa present these structures in the flowers and in the axis of inflorescence (Souza et al 2013), and that other species of the clade potentially bear floral secretory trichomes since these structures have been reported to occur in the vegetative organs of approximately 100 species (Ragonese 1973;Leelavathi & Ramayya 1983;Lersten & Curtis 1994;1996;Rudall et al 1994;Lewis & Schrire 1995;Simpson & Miao 1997;Pascal et al 2000;Warwick & Lewis 2009;Melo et al 2010).…”