Micromorphology of the flower of Zephyranthes lindleyana (Amaryllidaceae)

Abstract

In connection with the search for new morphological features, useful for the taxonomy of plants was studied the structure of the flowers of the Zephyranthes lindleyana Herb. (Mexico), as modern molecular taxonomy does not always consider the morphological and anatomical features of the flower, and the vertical zonality of the gynoecium does not take into account at all. The morphometric parameters and micromorphology of the ovary were described by using flowers transverse sections. 10 flowers of Z. lindleyana were sectioned using standard methods of Paraplast embedding and serial sectioning at 20 mkm thickness. Sections were stained with Safranin and Astra Blau and mounted in Eukitt. We investigated the presence of three vertical zones in the Z. lindleyana gynoecium: synascidiate, symplicate and hemisymplicate. Asymplicate zone is absent. The data we obtained helped deepen the knowledge on micromorphological peculiarities of flowers of Z. lindleyana and will help to compare the received morphological and anamomical features with features studied earlier for representatives of Amaryllidaceae family for use them in the taxonomy in future.