'Who's who' in two different flower types of Calluna vulgaris (Ericaceae): morphological and molecular analyses of flower organ identity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The ornamental crop Calluna vulgaris is of increasing importance to the horticultural industry in the northern hemisphere due to a flower organ mutation: the flowers of the 'bud-flowering' phenotype remain closed i.e. as buds throughout the total flowering period and thereby maintain more colorful flowers for a longer period of time than the wild-type. This feature is accompanied and presumably caused by the complete lack of stamens. Descriptions of this botanical particularity are inconsistent and partially conflicting. In order to clarify basic questions of flower organ identity in general and stamen loss in detail, a study of the wild-type and the 'bud-flowering' flower type of C. vulgaris was initiated.

Results

Flowers were examined by macro- and microscopic t

SUBMITTER: Borchert T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2803492 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature