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The differentiation and development of pistils of hermaphrodites and pistillodes of males in androdioecious Osmanthus fragrans L. and implications for the evolution to androdioecy

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Abstract

The evolutionary pathway between hermaphroditism and dioecy draws widespread interests, and androdioecy is rarely achieved as an intermediate state between the two breeding systems. Flower bud differentiations in the pistils of hermaphrodites and the pistillodes of males in androdioecious Osmanthus fragrans L. were investigated by paraffin sectioning to elucidate the evolution to androdioecy. Results showed that the regularity and rhythm in flower bud differentiation between males and hermaphrodites were almost consistent and included six main stages. However, the hermaphrodites always lagged behind the males at each stage. The apical floret in the same inflorescence developed earlier than did the lateral ones in both hermaphrodites and males. The most significant difference between males and hermaphrodites was observed at the carpel differentiation stage. Two carpel primordia appeared inside the stamens of both males and hermaphrodites at the initial stage. These two carpels gradually fused with each other in hermaphrodites and eventually developed into a normal pistil with a stigma, a style, and an ovary. However, a cavity grew conspicuously over time between two carpels as developed in males. The two carpels eventually developed into a pistillode with two independent bracteal tissues. However, from the whole development process, the male retained the developmental residue of the hermaphrodite. Thus, the pistillodes of males could be traced to the pistils of hermaphrodites. This finding shows that males may be derived from hermaphrodites in O. fragrans. On the basis of this finding and previous studies on Oleaceae, androdioecy could be regarded as a transition from hermaphroditism to dioecy in this family.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30771761, 31170656 and 31101571), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. Y3100221 and Y3110357), Young Teacher Innovation Team Item of Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University (Grant No. 2010RC01) and Zhejiang Provincial Major Program of New cultivar breeding (Grant No. 2012C12909-9).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Subtropical Forest Culture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin’an, 311300, Zhejiang, China

    Yi-Chun Xu

  2. School of Landscape Architecture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin’an, 311300, Zhejiang, China

    Yi-Chun Xu, Li-Hua Zhou, Chong-jing Huang & Hong-Bo Zhao

  3. College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang, China

    Shao-Qing Hu

  4. College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Zhejiang, China

    Ri-Ming Hao

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  1. Yi-Chun Xu
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Correspondence to Hong-Bo Zhao.

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Xu, YC., Zhou, LH., Hu, SQ. et al. The differentiation and development of pistils of hermaphrodites and pistillodes of males in androdioecious Osmanthus fragrans L. and implications for the evolution to androdioecy. Plant Syst Evol 300, 843–849 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-013-0923-6

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