Morphological and anatomical characterization of extrafloral nectaries of Opuntia streptacantha and Ferocactus recurvus (Cactaceae)

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Authors

Mario A. Sandoval Molina , Simón Morales-Rodríguez, Mariusz Krzysztof Janczur

Abstract

Background: The Cactaceae family displays remarkable diversity in the morphology of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs). Despite their taxonomic, ecological, and evolutionary significance, their anatomy and morphology are poorly understood.
Questions: How are the morphological and anatomical attributes of extrafloral nectaries in Opuntia streptacantha and Ferocactus recurvus?
Studied species: Opuntia streptacantha Lem. and Ferocactus recurvus (Mill.) Borg.
Study site and dates: Helia Bravo Hollis Botanical Garden, Zapotitlan Salinas, State of Puebla, México, during 2017.
Methods: EFNs samples were collected from the plants, fixed in glutaraldehyde, and processed for analysis using scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy.
Results: In both species, EFNs are modified spines adapted for nectar secretion. In F. recurvus, they are elongated and blunt, and epidermal cells are wrinkled, forming a lump at the tip. In O. streptacantha, EFNs possess an apical secretory cone where nectar is stored and exuded. This region has globular and imbricated, bag-shaped epidermal cells without stomata. We distinguished three regions in these nectaries: an apical secretory cone, a middle elongation section, and a basal meristematic region. The apical secretory cone has globular epidermal cells that surround a lignified region of the spine. We could not detect vascularization in the extrafloral nectaries of O. streptacantha.
Conclusions: This study reports, for the first time, the existence of EFNs in O. streptacantha and sheds light on the histological and morphological characteristics of EFNs in F. recurvus.
Keywords: microscopy, nectar secretion, nectaries, secretory spines.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.32942/X2PW2J

Subjects

Life Sciences

Keywords

Microscopy, nectar secretion, nectaries, secretory spines., nectar secretion, nectaries, EFNs, secretory spines

Dates

Published: 2023-04-28 09:41

License

CC-BY Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International

Additional Metadata

Language:
English

Conflict of interest statement:
The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data and Code Availability Statement:
Not applicable