Inflorescence morphology and flower development in Pinguicula alpina and P. vulgaris (Lentibulariaceae: Lamiales): monosymmetric flowers are always lateral and occurrence of early sympetaly

Abstract

Earlier interpretations of shoot morphology and flower position in Pinguicula are controversial, and data on flower development in Lentibulariaceae are scarce. We present scanning electron microscopy about the vegetative shoot, inflorescence and flower development in Pinguicula alpina and P. vulgaris. Analysis of original data and the available literature leads to the conclusion that the general pattern of shoot branching and inflorescence structure is uniform in all the Pinguicula species studied so far. The inflorescence is a sessile terminal umbel that is sometimes reduced to a solitary pseudoterminal flower. Flower-subtending bracts are either cryptic or present as tiny scales. A next order lateral shoot develops in the axil of the uppermost leaf, below the umbel. It is usually though not always homodromous, i.e., the direction of the phyllotaxy spiral is the same as in the main shoot. Among Pinguicula species that overwinter as a hibernaculum, the initiation of floral organs takes place in the same year as flowering in P. vulgaris, and 1 year earlier in P. alpina. Early congenital petal fusion (‘early’ sympetaly) is documented in Pinguicula, though most other members of Lamiales exhibit ‘late’ sympetaly. Sporadic occurrence of rudiments of two posterior stamens in Pinguicula is confirmed. A speculation is made that, in angiosperms, monosymmetric flowers cannot be terminal on shoots bearing more than two (or three) phyllomes.