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Morphology, structure, and histochemistry of the inflorescences, fruit, and seed of the Ramón nut, Brosimum alicastrum Sw. subsp. alicastrum CC Berg (Moraceae)

  • Structural Botany - Original Article
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Abstract

Brosimum alicastrum Sw, known in Mexico as the Ramón nut, is a sustainable resource in the economy of Yucatan, Mexico; the pulp and seed are edible, and the latter is very nutritious when consumed whole or ground into corn or wheat flour to make tortillas and bread. Because the inflorescences are an essential source of Moraceae taxonomic traits, the histochemistry of the floral parts, fruit, and seed of B. alicastrum was studied to establish their structural characteristics and chemical nature. Different developmental stages of the structures were studied with anatomical and histochemical techniques and scanning electron microscopy. The species presented three achlamydeous floral morphs: (a) uniflorous, unisexual pistillate inflorescence, with the ovary embedded in the receptacle, and exposing a style with bifurcate stigma; (b) unisexual staminate inflorescence with flowers with one stamen, a straight and thick filament, a bilocular peltate anther, with fused theca and circumscissile dehiscence, characteristics that define it as Brosimum alicastrum Sw. subsp. alicastrum CC Berg; and (c) bisexual inflorescence with staminate flowers and a pistillate flower with an atrophied ovule. The fleshy and sweet pulp is derived from the receptacle containing glycoproteins and idioblasts. The endocarp, which derives from the ovary wall, has a coriaceous consistency, so the fruit is classified as a pome. Thick and unequal fleshy cotyledons with laticifers, proteinoplasts, amyloplasts, and idioblasts; endosperm is absent from the mature seed; a thin and lignified seed coat surrounds them. The nutritional characteristics of the fruit and seed were corroborated with positive reactions of histochemical techniques.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the following academic staff of the UNAM Faculty of Sciences: Ana Isabel Bieler-Antolin for camera and microscope assistance, Ricardo García Sandoval for edition of figures, Lucía Yoscelina Centeno Betanzos for histochemical technical support, and Martha Juana Martínez-Gordillo and Sonia Vázquez-Santana for helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Estructura y Fisiología de Plantas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 3000, Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Alicia Enriqueta Brechú-Franco, Guillermo Laguna-Hernández & Karen Pasillas-Rodríguez

  2. Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C. (CICY), Unidad de Recursos Naturales, Calle 43, No. 130 x 32 y 34, Chuburná de Hidalgo, C.P. 97205, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    Alfonso Francisco Larqué-Saavedra

  3. Microscopía Electrónica de Barrido, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 3000, Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Silvia Espinosa-Matias

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  1. Alicia Enriqueta Brechú-Franco
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  2. Alfonso Francisco Larqué-Saavedra
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  3. Guillermo Laguna-Hernández
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Contributions

KPR research on reports about the plant, establishment of the histochemical techniques. GLH, AFLS, and AEBF design of the work, interpretation of the results, their discussion, and manuscript writing and editing. SEM scanning electron microscope assistance, image analysis, and interpretation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Alicia Enriqueta Brechú-Franco.

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Alicia Enriqueta Brechú-Franco, Guillermo Laguna-Hernández and Karen Pasillas-Rodríguez: Part of Karen Pasillas Rodríguez's Bachelor Thesis to obtain the title of Biologist.

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Brechú-Franco, A.E., Larqué-Saavedra, A.F., Laguna-Hernández, G. et al. Morphology, structure, and histochemistry of the inflorescences, fruit, and seed of the Ramón nut, Brosimum alicastrum Sw. subsp. alicastrum CC Berg (Moraceae). Braz. J. Bot 44, 457–466 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40415-021-00708-w

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