Morphological, histological and ultrastructural changes in the olive pistil during flowering
- 4 April 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Sexual Plant Reproduction
- Vol. 25 (2), 133-146
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00497-012-0186-3
Abstract
Sexual reproduction is essential for the propagation of higher plants. From an agronomical point of view, this is a particularly key process because fertilization guarantees fruit formation in most cultivated fruit species. In the olive, however, in spite of its agricultural importance, little attention has been paid to the study of sexual reproduction. In order to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate pollen–pistil interactions in the olive during the progamic phase, it is essential to first have a good knowledge of the reproductive structures involved in such interactions. This study characterizes the anatomical and ultrastructural changes in the olive pistil, beginning from the young pistil developing within the bud until the time of petal loss and visible stigma senescence. We have correlated changes in the pistil with a series of defined floral developmental stages and determined that olive pistil structures cannot be considered completely mature and ready to be pollinated and fertilized until the onset of anthesis. Our results clearly show histological and ultrastructural variation during the diverse flowering events. We discuss whether the changes observed might influence or result from pollen–pistil interactions during the progamic phase.This publication has 50 references indexed in Scilit:
- Relationship between reproductive behavior and new shoot development in 5-year-old branches of olive trees (Olea europaea L.)Trees, 2011
- Identification and localization of a caleosin in olive (Olea europaea L.) pollen during in vitro germinationJournal of Experimental Botany, 2010
- Morphological and cytological development and starch accumulation in hermaphrodite and staminate flowers of olive (Olea europaea L.)Sexual Plant Reproduction, 2009
- Structural organization and cytochemical features of the pistil in Olive (Olea europaea L.) cv. Picual at anthesisSexual Plant Reproduction, 2008
- Reproductive biology of Olive (Olea europaea L.) DOP Umbria cultivarsSexual Plant Reproduction, 2006
- Pollen and Stigma Structure and Function: The Role of Diversity in PollinationPlant Cell, 2004
- Pollen and pistil in the progamic phaseSexual Plant Reproduction, 2001
- Ovary starch reserves and flower development in apricot (Prunus armeniaca)Physiologia Plantarum, 2000
- Influence of intraovular reserves on ovule fate in apricot ( Prunus armeniaca L.)Sexual Plant Reproduction, 1998
- Pistil strategies controlling pollen tube growthSexual Plant Reproduction, 1996