Floral development of Najas flexilis

Abstract

Two subopposite leaves form at a node. The lower one arises almost simultaneously with the axillary meristem which it subtends. The upper leaf initiates after the lower one and does not subtend any structure. The axillary meristem gives rise to a renewal growth apex and a floral bud almost at its inception. In some cases the axillary meristem forms only a floral bud. The floral bud may be either staminate or pistillate. The main axis and the renewal growth in the axil of the lower leaf repeat this pattern of development. Staminate and pistillate flowers are almost indistinguishable at inception. They form as dome-like protuberances and both initiate girdling primordia, which become lobed at or immediately after inception. In the staminate flower the girdling primordium becomes the outer envelope, while a second girdling primordium formed acropetally becomes the inner envelope. Both envelopes overgrow the one-celled anther, which is the transformed staminate floral apex. In the pistillate flower the girdling primordium becomes the gynoecial wall that encloses the single bitegmic ovule, which is the transformed pistillate floral apex. On a short style a stigma with two to four branches develops. The renewal growth apices have a one-layered tunica. The two subopposite leaves are initiated through cell division in both tunica and corpus cells. The axillary meristem arises through periclinal divisions in the corpus cells. The girdling primordia of both staminate and pistillate floral buds are epidermal in origin as are the integuments of the ovule. Procambial development is acropetal following closely primordia inception. Each leaf, floral bud, and renewal growth apex receives a single strand. No vascularization is seen in envelopes of the staminate flower or the gynoecial wall of the pistillate flower, all of which remain two cell layers thick even at maturity.