Evaluation of reproductive biology and morpho-anatomical variations in Plumbago spp.
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Date
2000
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Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara
Abstract
A comparative evaluation of the morphological and anatomical features as
well as reproductive biology of the three species of Plumbago viz., P.rosea,
P. zeylanica and P. capensis was carried out in the Department of Plant Breeding
and Genetics during 1997-1999 with a view to find out the relationship existing
among the species and to prepare a key for their identification.
The different species of Plumbago varied with respect to nature of stem and
leaves, colour of petiole, leaf attachment etc. Significant variations were also
observed in the length of inflorescence, number of flowers per inflorescence time
taken for completion of anthesis per inflorescence and size and colour of floral
parts.
Though there was uniformity in the fundamental structure of the stem,
variations were observed in the outline of T.S., size of epidermal cells and
arrangement of chlorenchyma. In the case of root, variability was observed in
thickness of cortex, nature of stone cells, presence of starch grains etc.
Study of reproductive biology revealed that anthesis occurred earlier in
P. zeylanica compared to other two species. Further the period of anthesis also
extended over a wide time range in P. zeylanica. Eventhough the pollengrains
were tricolpate and spherical •in all the three species, differences existed with
respect to colour, size and fertility of pollen grains. Coincidence of pollen
dehiscence and stigma receptivity was found to lead good seed set in P. zeylanica.
Apis spp. and wind were observed to be the main pollinating agents.
Based on the different morphological, anatomical and reproductive
characters a key for the identification of the different species were proposed.
A distance matrix based on morphological anatomical and reproductive
characters of three species revealed that P. rosea and P. zeylanica are more related
than P. capensis.
Description
PG
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Citation
171792