Comparative structure of the labellum in Ophrys fusca and O. lutea (Orchidaceae)

The morphology and anatomy of the labellar epidermal cells and the way in which they are arranged are described in an attempt to locate and characterize the osmophore in Ophrys fusca and O. lutea. The micromorphology of the labellum of these two species is similar. Four types of epidermal cells are present on the adaxial surface of the labellum. Long unicellular trichomes with straight tips cover the basal region of the labellum, whereas short unicellular trichomes with polygonal flattened bases form the reflective median speculum. The apical region of the labellum possesses a villous indumentum of long acuminate trichomes with bent or sinuate tips. Large smooth-walled, dome-shaped papillae occur on the margins and on the distal region of the abaxial surface of the labellum. These remarkable papillae have high polarity; the protoplasm at the apex of each cell contains several small vacuoles, while a prominent nucleus surrounded by numerous hypertrophied amyloplasts occurs at the opposite end of the cell. Positive reactions to Vogel's staining test and to Sudan black B enabled us to conclude that the osmophores of both species are composed of these peculiar secretory epidermal cells and by two or three subsecretory layers of parenchyma cells.