Structural changes in Nelumbo flower petals during opening and closing

Nelumbo nucifera is one of several plant species with flowers that typically open in the early morning and close by noon. This movement normally repeats for 3 days, with all petals falling off on day 4. However, detailed observations of flower movement in Nelumbo species are limited.

Movement of flowers on plants in growth chambers were observed using time-lapse photography. Petals were examined with scanning electron microscopy or fixed and sectioned for light microscopy to determine whether changes in cell size contribute to petal elongation during flowering.

This study is the first to microscopically observe petal cells of a Nelumbo species during flowering in controlled conditions. Petals elongated during the 4-day flowering period. Inner petals were more elongated than the outer petals. Among the basal, central, and tip regions of a single petal, the cells in the basal region enlarged the most. Outer and inner epidermal cells in the basal region of the inner petals, on both adaxial and abaxial sides, gradually enlarged during the flowering period through cycles of repeated increases as the petals opened and decreases as they closed.

Petals opened and closed repeatedly as they elongated, primarily in their basal region. Cells in the basal region of the petal on the adaxial and abaxial sides periodically fluctuated in size, increased during flower opening and decreased during closing, but differences in these patterns were observed between the two sides, suggesting that one of the driving forces behind the opening and closing of flowers of Nelumbo species is the increase and decrease in the size of the petal cells.