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The development of enantiostyly
Linley K Jesson1, Julie Kang, Sara L Wagner
1Department of Botany, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2.
American Journal of Botany
|June 11, 2011
Summary
Enantiostyly, the left or right style deflection in flowers, can be monomorphic or dimorphic. Developmental constraints, particularly late expression of left-right asymmetry, may limit the evolution of dimorphic enantiostyly from monomorphic forms.
Area of Science:
- Plant reproductive biology
- Evolutionary developmental biology
- Floral morphology
Background:
- Enantiostyly, the left or right deflection of a flower's style, has evolved independently in multiple angiosperm families.
- This phenomenon manifests as monomorphic enantiostyly (both orientations in one plant) or dimorphic enantiostyly (separate orientations on different plants).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate architectural and developmental constraints on the evolution of monomorphic and dimorphic enantiostyly.
- To understand the relationship between inflorescence structure, floral development, and the expression of enantiostyly.
Main Methods:
- Examined inflorescence architecture and floral development in unrelated enantiostylous species.
- Investigated the positional predictability of left- and right-styled flowers within inflorescences.
- Analyzed the timing of stylar bending during floral development across different taxa.
Main Results:
- The positional predictability of enantiostylous flowers varied significantly among species, from highly predictable to random.
- Stylar bending occurred at different developmental stages, either in the bud or at the onset of anthesis.
- Left-right asymmetry was expressed late in development, despite early dorsiventral asymmetry initiation.
Conclusions:
- The evolution of dimorphic enantiostyly from monomorphic enantiostyly may be hindered by a lack of specific left-right positional information during bud development.
- Developmental timing and expression of asymmetry play crucial roles in shaping the evolution of floral traits like enantiostyly.
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