The pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) nectary: structural and transcriptomic characterization.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pennycress [Thlaspi arvense L (Brassicaceae)] is being domesticated as a renewable biodiesel feedstock that also provides crucial ecosystems services, including as a nutritional resource for pollinators. However, its flowers produce significantly less nectar than other crop relatives in the Brassicaceae. This study was undertaken to understand the basic biology of the pennycress nectary as an initial step toward the possibility of enhancing nectar output from its flowers.

Results

Pennycress flowers contain four equivalent nectaries located extrastaminally at the base of the insertion sites of short and long stamens. Like other Brassicaceae, the nectaries have open stomates on their surface, which likely serve as the sites of nectar secretion. The nectaries produce

SUBMITTER: Thomas JB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5686818 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature