L'androcée centripète d’Ochna atropurpurea

Abstract

After the inception of usually five sepals and five petals, five primary androecial primordia are initiated as broad bulges in alternation with the narrow petal primordia. On each of these primary androecial primordia, usually seven stamen primordia (i.e., secondary androecial primordia) are formed centripetally in a definite pattern. The fasciculate pattern of the androecium is noticeable only in very early stages of floral development since the stamen primordia of adjacent primary androecial primordia approach each other as closely as the stamen primordia of the same primary androecial primordium. Furthermore, the number and arrangement of the stamen primordia on the primary androecial primordia may vary even within the same floral bud. The total number of stamens per floral bud varied from 26 to 43, while the number of petals varied from 4 to 6. Some of the stamen primordia, especially among the inner ones, sometimes develop into filament-like staminodia. The findings support the view that the Dilleniidae cannot be generally characterized by a centrifugal androecium. The sequence of stamen inception is not necessarily of such fundamental importance that it is a reliable criterion for the reconstitution of major phylogenetic lineages at or above the rank of families. Shifts from a centrifugal to a centripetal androecium or vice versa may have occurred during the evolution of taxa at the ordinal (or even family) level. [Translated by the journal]