Floral organogenesis in Urophysa rockii, a rediscovered endangered and rare species of Ranunculaceae

Abstract

Urophysa is an Asian endemic genus in the Ranunculaceae, but data on floral organogenesis, which would be a useful complement to molecular data in clarifying the relationship with closely related taxa (Aquilegia and Semiaquilegia) in Ranunculaceae, are completely lacking. We used scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy to study the floral development of Urophysa rockii Ulbrich, a recently rediscovered species in this genus. The sepals are initiated spirally, whereas other organs are nonsimultaneously whorled; the floral phyllotaxis is whorled. Primordia of the sepals are lunular and truncate, but those of the petals and stamens are hemispherical and rounded. After sepal initiation, there is a delay in development, but the initiation of petals and stamens is continuous. The developmental sequence of the microspores in the stamens is centrifugal, although the stamens are initiated centripetally. The early developmental stages of the staminodes are similar to those of the stamens, although much smaller, so they may be phylogenetically homologous organs. The carpel primordia are lunular in shape and plicate. The mature ovule is anatropous and bitegmic. Urophysa shows similar floral development features as Aquilegia and Semiaquilegia, although with some differences, which supports the relationship inferred by DNA sequence data.