Petal Shape Research Articles

A telomere-to-telomere gap-free reference genome of Chionanthus retusus provides insights into the molecular mechanism underlying petal shape changes

Abstract Chionanthus retusus, an arbor tree of the Oleaceae family, is an ecologically and economically valuable ornamental plant for its remarkable adaptability in landscaping. During C. retusus breeding, we observed diverse floral shapes; however, no available genome for C. retusus has hindered the widespread identification of genes related to flower morphology. Thus, a de novo telomere-to-telomere (T2T) gap-free genome was generated. The assembly, incorporating high-coverage and long-read sequencing data, successfully yielded two complete haplotypes (687 and 683 Mb). The genome encompasses 42 864 predicted protein-coding genes, with all 46 telomeres and 23 centromeres in one haplotype. Whole genome duplication analysis revealed that C. retusus underwent one fewer event of whole-genome duplication after differentiation compared to other species in the Oleaceae family. Furthermore, flower vein diversity was the main reason for the differences in floral shapes. Auxin-related genes were responsible for petal shape formation on genome-based transcriptome analysis. Specifically, the removal and retention of the first intron in CrAUX/IAA20 resulted in the production of two transcripts, and the differences in the expression levels of CrAUX/IAA20 resulted in the variations of flower veins. Compared to transcripts lacking the first intron, transcripts with intron retention caused more severe decreases in the number and length of flower veins in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. Our findings will deepen our understanding of flower morphology development and provide important theoretical support for the cultivation of Oleaceae.

CHRYSANTHEMUM FLOWERS AS A SOURCE OF IDEAS FOR CREATING PARTY WEAR

Chrysanthemums have several types of flowers with attractive petal shapes and colours. This research describes the making process and the result of men's and women's party wear with chrysanthemums as decorative trims. This research method uses a double-diamond design process consisting of four stages: discovered, defined, developed, and delivered. The discovery stage is the stage of finding the source of ideas as outlined in the mood board, inspired by the arrangement of petals and varied colours in flowers. The defined stage was to create eight designs of women's party wear and four designs of men's party wear based on the mood board. In the development stage, the women's party fashion will be created using the draping technique on a medium-sized mannequin, and the men's party wear will be created using a large-size construction pattern. The deliver stage is the stage of making decorative trims in the form of chrysanthemum flowers and fabric manipulation tucking as the centre of attention on the apparel. The result of the research was a party dress that was based on the source of the chrysanthemum flower idea. Recommendations for future research can explore the application of chrysanthemum flower idea sources on different designs.

Morphological and nomenclatural notes on Dianthus ciliatus subspecies (Caryophyllaceae)

A detailed morphometric analysis and scanning electron microscopy of seed coat structure of three currently recognised subspecies of the endemic amphi-Adriatic Dianthus ciliatus (Caryophyllaceae) was carried out for the first time. Petal limb shape and denticulation, the woody base of the plant, epicalyx scale’s length and height of the epicalyx turned out to be the most informative characters in distinguishing the investigated populations of D. ciliatus. Based on significant differences in morphological characters, a new identification key is offered. The names D. ciliatus, D. ciliatus var. cymosus, D. dalmaticus, D. medunensis, and D. racemosus are here lectotypified.

Strange property of physical quantities of some petal shape objects

We study various physical quantities of objects with petal shapes. N-petal shapes exhibit N-fold rotational symmetry. Furthermore, they might have an additional characteristic: the equation defining their boundaries could be represented by F(N θ). We will show that physical quantities of objects with these characteristics may show strange properties. By ‘physical quantities’, we refer to aspects such as electric potential and electric field due to a charged petal-shaped plate or cylinder on the rotation axis, their mass and moment of inertia. We are going to show that for such objects, these physical observables do not depend on the number of petals, N. This intriguing result has a simple reason.

Impatiens neo-uncinata (Balsaminaceae), a new species from southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India

A new species, Impatiens neo-uncinata, belonging to section Scorpioidae is described and illustrated from Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala in the southern Western Ghats. It is morphologically similar to Impatiens unicinata, but can easily be distinguished in having milky white distal lobe of keel petal, deltoid shape of standard petals and 1–2 seeded capsules. Furthermore, the SEM analysis of pollen and seed also delineate the taxa. Impatiens neo-uncinatais assessed here as Endangered based on the categories and criteria of the IUCN Red List.

Dehydration-induced corrugated folding in Rhapis excelsa plant leaves

Plant leaves, whose remarkable ability for morphogenesis results in a wide range of petal and leaf shapes in response to environmental cues, have inspired scientific studies as well as the development of engineering structures and devices. Although some typical shape changes in plants and the driving force for such shape evolution have been extensively studied, there remain many poorly understood mechanisms, characteristics, and principles associated with the vast array of shape formation of plant leaves in nature. Here, we present a comprehensive study that combines experiment, theory, and numerical simulations of one such topic-the mechanics and mechanisms of corrugated leaf folding induced by differential shrinking in Rhapis excelsa. Through systematic measurements of the dehydration process in sectioned leaves, we identify a linear correlation between change in the leaf-folding angle and water loss. Building on experimental findings, we develop a generalized model that provides a scaling relationship for water loss in sectioned leaves. Furthermore, our study reveals that corrugated folding induced by dehydration in R. excelsa leaves is achieved by the deformation of a structural architecture-the "hinge" cells. Utilizing such connections among structure, morphology, environmental stimuli, and mechanics, we fabricate several biomimetic machines, including a humidity sensor and morphing devices capable of folding in response to dehydration. The mechanisms of corrugated folding in R. excelsa identified in this work provide a general understanding of the interactions between plant leaves and water. The actuation mechanisms identified in this study also provide insights into the rational design of soft machines.

Thysanotus tibeticum (Asparagaceae), a new species from Tibet, China

Thysanotus tibeticum (Asparagaceae) from Jiali, Tibet, China, is described, illustrated and compared with related species. T. tibeticum appears to be related to T. chinensis and T. patersonii due to the similar growth habit, but it can be easily distinguished by the shape of roots, flowering stems, inflorescence, pedicels, inner petals and anthers. Surprisingly, the new species is the only one of Thysanotus found in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The area is also the highest elevation and northernmost latitude distribution area where Thysanotus have been found.

EXPANSIN15 is involved in flower and fruit development in Arabidopsis

Key messageEXPANSIN15 is involved in petal cell morphology and size, the fusion of the medial tissues in the gynoecium and expansion of fruit valve cells. It genetically interacts with SPATULA and FRUITFULL.Cell expansion is fundamental for the formation of plant tissues and organs, contributing to their final shape and size during development. To better understand this process in flower and fruit development, we have studied the EXPANSIN15 (EXPA15) gene, which showed expression in petals and in the gynoecium. By analyzing expa15 mutant alleles, we found that EXPA15 is involved in petal shape and size determination, by affecting cell morphology and number. EXPA15 also has a function in fruit size, by affecting cell size and number. Furthermore, EXPA15 promotes fusion of the medial tissues in the gynoecium. In addition, we observed genetic interactions with the transcription factors SPATULA (SPT) and FRUITFULL (FUL) in gynoecium medial tissue fusion, style and stigma development and fruit development in Arabidopsis. These findings contribute to the importance of EXPANSINS in floral and fruit development in Arabidopsis.

CYCLOIDEA paralogs function partially redundantly to specify dorsal flower development in Mimulus lewisii.

Duplicated genes (paralogs) are abundant in plant genomes, and their retention may influence the function of genetic programs and contribute to evolutionary novelty. How gene duplication affects genetic modules and what forces contribute to paralog retention are outstanding questions. The CYCLOIDEA(CYC)-dependent flower symmetry program is a model for understanding the evolution of gene duplication, providing multiple examples of paralog partitioning and novelty. However, a novel CYC gene lineage duplication event near the origin of higher core Lamiales (HCL) has received little attention. To understand the evolutionary fate of duplicated HCL CYC2 genes, we determined the effects on flower symmetry by suppressing MlCYC2A and MlCYC2B expression using RNA interference (RNAi). We determined the phenotypic effects on flower symmetry in single- and double-silenced backgrounds and coupled our functional analyses with expression surveys of MlCYC2A, MlCYC2B, and a putative downstream RADIALIS (MlRAD5) ortholog. MlCYC2A and MlCYC2B jointly contribute to bilateral flower symmetry. MlCYC2B exhibits a clear dorsal flower identity function and may additionally function in carpel development. MlCYC2A functions in establishing dorsal petal shape. Further, our results suggest an MlCYC2A-MlCYC2B regulatory interaction, which may affect pathway homeostasis. Our results suggest that CYC paralogs specific to higher core Lamiales may be selectively retained for their joint contribution to bilateral flower symmetry, similar to the independently derived CYC paralogs in the Lamiales model for bilateral flower symmetry research, Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon).

Effect of non-metallic silicon content on the microstructure and corrosion behaviour of AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys

AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have shown excellent mechanical properties and high-temperature oxidation resistance but poor corrosion resistance owing to the high contents of the aluminium passivation film. In this study, Si was added to these alloys with the aim of improving the composition and stability of the passivation films. The microstructure and corrosion behaviour of AlCoCrFeNiSix (molar ratio x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4) HEAs were investigated. Dendritic and spinodal decomposition regions were observed in all five alloys. In the dendritic region, the dendritic structures transitioned from a petal shape to a dendritic shape with increasing Si content. Phase separation occurred in the spinodal decomposition region, which predominantly consisted of ordered body-centred cubic (B2) and disordered body-centred cubic (A2) phases. The size of the A2 phase decreased, and the amount of the A2 phase increased with increasing Si content. An optimised Si content could enhance the stability of Al and Cr passivation films, whereas excessive Si imposed an adverse effect by forming a Cr passivation film. The corrosion resistance of AlCoCrFeNiSi0.2 HEAs was optimum with a passive current density of 3.2 μA/cm2, which was 0.2 times that of the obtained AlCoCrFeNi HEAs without Si. The type of corrosion changed from local corrosion of AlCoCrFeNiSix (x ≤ 0.3) HEAs to general corrosion of AlCoCrFeNiSi0.4 HEAs. The corrosion mechanisms of the AlCoCrFeNi HEAs with various Si contents were elucidated.

Automatic trait estimation in floriculture using computer vision and deep learning

Registration of new varieties of ornamental flowers is an important process in protecting plant breeders' intellectual property as well as consumer rights. One of the first steps in the admission procedure for a new candidate variety is a consistent and thorough registration, leading to a description of a number of traits that should uniquely define each variety. Similar trait descriptions are used in other applications like distinctness, uniformity and stability testing (DUS testing). Typical traits relevant for ornamentals are flower color, color distribution and petal shape. For each species the set of traits will differ. This process is time consuming, susceptible to error, and depends on skilled expertise. In this work, we aim to increase the level of automation in this process by using computer vision to estimate/classify the selected traits from images of the flowers, considering real world data sets of roses and gerberas. Using standard deep learning architectures, accuracies of 35-99% have been obtained for selected traits.

Development of Highest Value of the Measured Efficiency of Mesoporous Petal Shaped Europium (III) Doped Cobalt Tetroxide@Cupric Oxide Hybrid Nanomaterials for Enhanced Room Temperature Photoluminescence and Fluorescence Decay Properties.

In our work, a novel series of europium (III) (Eu3+) (5, 10 and 15 wt %) doped cobalt tetroxide@cupric oxide (Co3O4@CuO) nanomaterials (NMs) were synthesized by facile coprecipitation method. The synthesized NMs were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction), FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared), UV (ultraviolet)-visible absorption spectra, XPS (X-ray photoelectron), BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) analytical methods. Crystal structure studies revealed the formation of polycrystalline nature with monoclinic and cubic phase. The morphology studies of Eu3+x:Co3O4@CuO (x = 5, 10 and 15 wt %) showed petal shape nanoparticles (NPs) with agglomeration. Redshift in optical absorption spectra appeared with a significant impact on the optical band gap as Eu3+ concentration increases on Co3O4@CuO bimetallic oxide NMs. The chemical composition and valence state of the elements confirmed from XPS studies detected the presence of Eu, Cu, Co, O and C elements. An increase in the pore size and surface area resulted as the Eu3+ concentration increased on Co3O4@CuO NMs. However, room temperature photoluminescence (RTPL) spectra of Co3O4@CuO bimetallic oxide NMs at two different excitations (λ excitation = 280nm, 320nm) showed sharp, strong emission intensities located at near ultraviolet (NUV) region and weak emissions detected at far ultraviolet (FUV) regions of the RTPL spectrum. Further, visible range emission intensities were displayed by Eu3+:Co3O4@CuO (5, 10 and 15 wt %) NMs when exited at 280nm. The characteristic white light emission peaks in the visible range of the RTPL spectra showed intense blue, green and orange colours. Emission intensity increases with an increase in Eu3+ concentration on Co3O4@CuO bimetallic oxide NMs. The fluorescence (FL) decay spectra of Eu3+ 10wt% and 15 wt%: Co3O4@CuO NMs showed a decay lifetime of 2.54 and 2.31ns (ns) attributed to the dynamic, ultrafast excitation energy transfer between Eu3+ (dopant) and Co3O4@CuO (host) NMs. It is proposed that enhanced RTPL emission intensity and FL decay behavior of Eu3+x:Co3O4@CuO NMs closely related to the change in the optical band gap, variation in the crystallite size, formation of more number of oxygen vacancies in the crystal structure of hybrid nanomaterials.

Genetic mechanisms of petal morphogenesis in Eustoma grandiflorum

Eustoma grandiflorum, also known as lisianthus, is a popular ornamental plant belonging to the Gentianaceae family. Due to its diverse petal shapes, it is an excellent model for studying the genetic mechanisms of petal morphogenesis. In this study, we conducted a comparative morphological, anatomical, and transcriptional analysis of two cultivated varieties of lisianthus, ‘Wavy White’ with wavy petals and ‘Rosita White’ with flat petals. Cytological observations showed that the cells of both the epidermis (Ep) and parenchymatous tissue (Pt) at the bud stage, as well as the cell numbers of Ep at the mature stage existed difference between petals in ‘Rosita White’ and ‘Wavy White’. We found that genes involved in cell division, cell expansion, and microtubule-based processes, including genes in the CYCLIN D3 (CYCD3) family, EXPANSIN (EXP) family, and Tubulin/FtsZ family, were highly over-represented during the bud stage in ‘Wavy White’. At the bud stage, several specific genes, including EXP1, YABBY3 (YAB3), GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR 1 (GRF1), LEAFY (LFY), LOB DOMAIN-CONTAINING PROTEIN 40 (LBD40), and PROTODERMAL FACTOR 2 (PDF2) were found to be highly expressed in the petals of ‘Wavy White’. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis further confirmed significantly higher expression levels of LFY, PDF2, GRF1, and YAB3 in ‘Wavy White’ than those in ‘Rosita White’ at the bud stage. And we found that YAB3 was more highly expressed in petals in lisianthus cultivars with wavy petals than those in ‘Rosita White’; LFY was more highly expressed in petals in lisianthus cultivars with wavy petals except ‘Wavy Purple’ than those in ‘Rosita White’. Overall, our findings shed light on the genetic mechanisms of petal morphogenesis in lisianthus.

Contact-time reduction of viscous droplets impacting a grooved superhydrophobic surface

Adding a macroscale groove structure to the superhydrophobic surface makes the water droplet to bounce in a petal shape and dramatically reduces the contact time of the water droplet. Most studies on petal bouncing have been conducted on water droplets without considering the effects of viscosity. In this study, the bouncing dynamics of glycerol/water droplets impacting a grooved hydrophobic surface were investigated by changing the viscosity and impact speed of the droplets. As the viscosity of the droplets increased, the Weber number range in which petal bouncing occurred decreased. Petal bouncing was observed in up to 50 wt. % glycerol/water droplets with a viscosity approximately six times that of water. In the low Weber number region (We < 25), as the viscosity of the droplet increased, a sufficient amount of capillary energy was not stored in the fluid penetrating the grooved structure, owing to the viscous dissipation of the fluid. In contrast, in the moderate-Weber-number region (25 < We < 40), the impact energy of the droplet became sufficiently large to overcome the viscous force of the fluid, enabling spreading and retraction along the bottom of the structure. This caused a discrepancy between the time at which the retraction of the fluid above the structure started and the time for the fluid to penetrate and empty the structure, resulting in a transition from petal bouncing to conventional rebound. The critical Weber number for petal bouncing was calculated using the energy-balance approach, and the results were similar to the experimentally observed values.

Transformasi Bentuk Flora ke Dalam Elemen Dekorasi Interior Menggunakan Teknik Makrame

Among the people today there are still many of them who are non sensitive to the surrounding environment, from here the author provides solutions, by utilizing various media and techniques in creating fine arts, one of which is textile crafts using macrame techniques, as a reminder of the community to the environment, as well as an idea / source of inspiration for entrepreneurial ideas within the scope of the creative industry by visualizing the shapes of flora. Like the basic shape of flower petals, leaves and tree branches, making it a decorative work that is in demand by various circles. The method of creating the author using is a method that has been proposed in the art consortium carried out in stages, namely the preparation stage by searching for information, elaboration by analyzing problems, synthesis of setting ideas, realization ofsetting ideas, realization of concepts by making macrame works and stages of completion by conducting joint exhibitions. In this final work, the author produced seven interior decoration works with a wide variety of sizes and shapes, symmetrical, asymmetrical, circular and square.

Karakteristik Buah dan Biji Lontar (Borassus Flabelifer L.)

The purpose of this study was to provide the data about character of lontar fruit and seeds in Kefamenanu City, North Central Timor Regency. This research was conducted from August to September 2022 using exploration and sample collection methods than contnued with characterization of fruit and seed. The results showed that the lontar fruit and seed in Kefamenanu can be characterized using the characteristics of the diameter of the base of the petals, the diameter of the tip of the petals, the length of the inner petals, the length of the outer petals, the width of the inner petals, the width of the outer petals, the number of petals, color. petals, edges of petals, petal shape, weight of petals, weight of fruit with petals, weight of fruit without petals, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit circumference, fruit skin color, fruit shape, fruit skin surface, fruit tip and base surface, base color and fruit tip, seed weight, seed length, seed width, seed diameter, endosperm diameter, seed coat thickness, endosperm length, and endoperm color. In conclusion, there are 31 qualitative and quantitative characters that have been used to characterize lontar fruit and seed in Kefamenanu City.
 Keywords: Fruit and Seed Characters, Lontar

Metaphors of Orchid Names in Indonesian

This article aims to reveal several matters concerning metaphorical expressions found in orchid naming practices in Indonesian. By using data collected through google tracing, it is found that many orchid names in Indonesian consist of metaphorical expressions located on the "sub-species" and "characteristics" of the name elements. With regard to the forms, the metaphors can be constructed in the forms of monomorphemic words, polymorphemic words, and phrases. The metaphorical expressions are exploited to resemble with the target domains, i.e., various parts of the plants, mainly the shape and motives of the flower petals, leaf, size of the plant, and root. Various entities are close to human life used as source domains of metaphors, such as animals, human beings, things, plants, sky objects, and others. Most of the source domains are universal, and several of them are culturally specific as reflection of sociocultural realities

Towards a better understanding of Prunus (Rosaceae): molecular and morphological notes on Prunus subgenus Cerasus in Turkey

Abstract In this study, we explore the relationships among taxa of Prunus subgenus Cerasus in Turkey using a combination of macromorphology, micromorphology and molecular techniques. We recorded qualitative and quantitative characteristics of flowers, leaves, seeds and endocarp for 96 populations representing 14 taxa of Prunus subgenus Cerasus. ITS, matK, ycf1, trnL-trnF DNA sequence data were used to reconstruct phylogenetic trees for this group. Haplotype analyses results found 11 haplotypes among the samples used in this study. We also note that the infraspecific taxa of Cerasus angustifolia (=P. albicaulis), P. mahaleb, P. microcarpa and P. prostrata, as described by previous authors, do not exhibit significant differences even among the features of foliar morphology that are so often used to distinguish them from one another. As a general rule, our analyses indicate that the highly variable features of leaf micromorphology and endocarp and seed micromorphology are not taxonomically significant. In contrast, although floral morphology is often overlooked in systematic studies of Prunus subgenus Cerasus, we found several taxonomically useful flower characters, including sepal indumentum, hypanthium shape and indumentum and petal shape. This work clarifies the infraspecific relationships of members of Prunus subgenus Cerasus in Turkey and solves some taxonomic problems.

Enhanced corrosion resistance and biofunctionality of Zn–Al layered double hydroxide coating on micro-arc oxidized ZK60 Mg alloy via ion exchange

In this work, zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxides (Zn–Al LDHs) were prepared on the surface of micro-arc oxidized ZK60 magnesium (Mg) alloy by a hydrotreatment in a Zn(NO3)2 solution. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), laser scanning confocal microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were applied to analyze the coating characteristics. Ion exchange experiments were performed on the optimized LDHscoatings with 0.1 M methionine (Met) and cysteine (Cys) solution for 4 h at 60 °C. Methionine and cysteine were successfully inserted into the interlayer structure of LDHs. The LDHs-Met and LDHs-Cys coatings are distributed in a petal shape by hexagonal nanosheets, and their distributions on the surface of the MAO are dense and uniform. The porosity, surface roughness, hydrophilicity, and corrosion resistance of LDHs-Met and LDHs-Cys coatings are increased compared to MAO and MAO/LDHs coatings. The amino acids in the LDHs could play an influential corrosion inhibition role, improving the corrosion resistance of the MAO effectively. The ion exchange layer has a more substantial protective effect on the substrate and better biocompatibility than MAO and MAO/LDHs coatings.

Material removal and surface damage mechanisms in micro drilling of Nd:YAG material

Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) materials enable the vital applications in both industrial and military fields. In this study, the nanoscratch and micro drilling tests were conducted to investigate the material removal and surface damage mechanisms of Nd:YAG. The brittle-ductile transformation and intermittent edge breaking mechanisms were elaborated in the nanoscratch tests. After the scratch load exceeded 37 mN, the material removal mechanism transforms from elastic-plastic deformation to brittle fracture. Subsequently, the various material removal and surface damage mechanisms were observed on the hole surface and hole wall in micro drilling, which was consistent with the scratch test results. On the hole surface, the discontinuous edge-breaking defects with a petal shape are the primary surface damages, which encircle the hole surface to form a sunflower shape. However, the hole wall quality primarily depends on the proportion of flaky exfoliation and the brittle fracture zones on the hole wall, and the hole wall roughness increased with the drilling speed and feed rate. This study aims to understand the material removal mechanisms and optimise the machining parameters in micro drilling of hard and brittle materials.