Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T09:08:05.275Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Anatomy and Pollination of Cleistogamous Flowers of Benghal Dayflower (Commelina benghalensis)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

W. John Hayden  and
Camille Fagan
W. John Hayden*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA 23173
Camille Fagan
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA 23173
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: jhayden@richmond.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The anatomy and pollination of subterranean cleistogamous flowers of Benghal dayflower (Commelina benghalensis) is described as a contribution to understanding its reproductive biology. Subterranean stems bear one spathe per node, each enclosing a single cleistogamous flower. Only the three anterior stamens produce functional pollen; the posterior three stamens are staminodes. Tapetum is amoeboid and endothecium is present. The three-carpellate superior ovary bears five dimorphic orthotropous ovules. Nearly mature flowers have straight to somewhat curved styles; at maturity, styles elongate and coil. Our observations indicate that coiled style growth causes rupture of anthers and brings pollen into contact with stigmas. Pollen tubes were observed in styles that had previously undergone coiling, located within mucilaginous secretions of the mature stylar canal. The subterranean cleistogamous flowers of Benghal dayflower and their apparently unique mode of pollination, viewed together with reproductive capacity of its aerial chasmogamous flowers, underscore the complexity and flexibility of the reproductive biology of this noxious weed species.

Keywords

Benghal dayflower, Commelina benghalensis L., COMBETropical spiderwortCommelinaceae
Type
Weed Biology and Ecology
Information
Weed Science , Volume 64 , Issue 3 , September 2016 , pp. 455 - 462
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Associate Editor for this paper: Theodore Webster, USDA-ARS.

References

Literature Cited

Barnes, E (1949) Some observations on south Indian Commelinas. Two new species of Commelina from South India. J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 46: 70–89 Google Scholar
Calvino, E (1922) Estudios biologicos sobra el polen. Mem Soc Cub Hist Nat. “Felipe Poey” 4: 45–77 Google Scholar
Calvino, E (1923) Casos raros de cleistanteria observados en Cuba. Mem Soc Cub Hist Nat “Felipe Poey” 5: 99–105.Google Scholar
Faden, RB (1993) The misconstrued and rare species of Commelina (Commelinaceae) in the eastern United States. Ann Mo Bot Gard 80: 208–218 Google Scholar
Faden RB (2000a) Commelinaceae. Pages 170–197 in Flora of North America Editorial Committee, Flora of North America, Volume 22. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Faden RB (2000b) Commelinaceae. Pages 116–196 in Dassanayake, MD, Clayton, WD, eds. Flora of Ceylon, Volume 14. New Delhi, India: Amerind Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Fahn, A (1982) Plant Anatomy. 3rd edn. Oxford, United Kingdom: Pergamon Press Google Scholar
Hardy, CR, Faden, RB (2004) Plowmanianthus, a new genus of Commelinaceae with five new species from tropical America. Syst Bot 29: 316–333 Google Scholar
Hayden, WJ (2013) Commelina benghalensis new to Virginia. Castanea 78: 329 Google Scholar
Holm, LG, Plucknett, D, Pancho, J, Herberger, J (1977) Commelina benghalensis L., Commelina diffusa Burm. f. (=C. nudiflora sensu Merr., non L.), and Murdannia nudiflora (L.) Brenan (=Commelina nudiflora L., Aneilema nudiflorum [L.] Wall., and Aneilema malabaricum [L.] Merr.). Pages 225–235 in Holm, LG, Plucknett, D, Pancho, J, Herberger, J, eds. The World's Worst Weeds—Distribution and Biology. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press Google Scholar
Hrycan, WC, Davis, AR (2005) Comparative structure and pollen production of the stamens and pollinator-deceptive staminodes of Commelina coelestis and C. dianthifolia (Commelinaceae). Ann Bot 95: 1113–1130.Google Scholar
Index Herbariorum (2015) The New York Botanical Garden. http://sciweb.nybg.org/science2/IndexHerbariorum.asp. Accessed June 2015Google Scholar
Johansen, DA (1940) Plant Microtechnique. New York: McGraw-Hill Google Scholar
Kaul, V, Sharma, N, Koul, AK (2002) Reproductive effort and sex allocation strategy in Commelina benghalensis L., a common monsoon weed. Bot J Linn Soc 140: 403–413 Google Scholar
Krings, A, Burton, MG, York, AC (2002) Commelina benghalensis (Commelinaceae) new to North Carolina and an updated key to Carolina congeners. Sida 20: 419–422 Google Scholar
Lloyd, DG, Schoen, DJ (1992) Self- and cross-fertilization in plants. I. Functional dimensions. Int J Plant Sci 153: 358–369 Google Scholar
Lord, EM (1981) Cleistogamy: a tool for the study of floral morphogenesis, function, and evolution. Bot Rev 47: 421–449 Google Scholar
Maheshwari, P, Maheshwari, JK (1955) Floral dimorphism in Commelina forskalaei Vahl and C. benghalensis L. Phytomorphology 5: 413–422 Google Scholar
Maheshwari, P, Singh, B (1934) A preliminary note on the morphology of the aerial and subterranean flowers of Commelina benghalensis Linn. Curr Sci 3: 158–160 Google Scholar
Maheshwari, SC, Baldev, B (1958) A contribution to the morphology and embryology of Commelina forskalaei Vahl. Phytomorphology 8: 277–298 Google Scholar
Murty, YS, Saxena, NP, Singh, V (1974) Floral morphology of the Commelinaceae. J Indian Bot Soc 53: 127–136 Google Scholar
Parks, M (1935) Embryo sac development and cleistogamy in Commelinantia pringlei . Bull Torrey Bot Club 62: 91–104 Google Scholar
Parsons, E, Bole, B, Hall, DJ, Thomas, WD (1974) A comparative survey of techniques for preparing plant surfaces for the scanning electron microscope. J Microsc 101: 59–75 Google Scholar
Sermons, SM, Burton, GB, Rufty, TW (2008) Temperature response of Benghal dayflower (Commelina benghalensis): implications for geographic range. Weed Sci 56: 707–713 Google Scholar
Uphof, JCT (1938) Cleistogamic flowers. Bot Rev 4: 21–49 Google Scholar
Webster, TM, Burton, MG, Culpepper, AS, York, AC, Prostko, EP (2005) Tropical Spiderwort (Commelina benghalensis): a tropical invader threatens agroecosystems of the southern United States. Weed Technol 19: 501–508 Google Scholar