Flower and inflorescence development in Salicornia (Chenopodiaceae)

Abstract

AbstractFive species of Salicornia are investigated with respect to flower and inflorescence development. The triad of flowers likely represents a dichasium. Flowers possess three to four tepals, one or two stamens and two or three carpels. In the central flower of a triad, stamen insertion is always in the median plane, which is a major symmetry plane of a flower. Major symmetry planes of lateral flowers are usually parallel to the major symmetry plane of the central flower, whereas they are expected to be perpendicular to that of the central flower according to the dichasium model. This could be explained by strong displacement of positions of ablasted subtending bracts of lateral flowers from the transversal plane towards the subtending bract of the dichasium. This study showed the absence of a clear correlation between presence of one or two stamens and ploidy level in Salicornia. The species S. heterantha exhibits one of most curious combinations of different types of organ fusion in angiosperms. All three flowers of a dichasium have their perianth tube basally congenitally united with the main inflorescence axis. The distal part of the perianth tube of central flowers of S. heterantha is postgentinally fused to the inflorescence main axis. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)