Plant Diversity ›› 2015, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (4): 376-388.DOI: 10.7677/ynzwyj201514173

• Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Seed Micromorphology and Its Taxonomic Significance of Begonia (Begoniaceae) in China and Vietnam

 YANG  Zhen-Zhen-1、2, CHEN  Wen-Hong-1, SHUI  Yu-Min-1   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
    Kunming 650201, China; 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2014-12-19 Online:2015-07-25 Published:2015-03-11
  • Supported by:

    国家自然科学基金项目 (31070174)

Abstract:

 The seed morphology of 47 species in Begonia in China and Vietnam were examined under Light Microscope (LM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), respectively. Seed varied from ellipsoidal to obovoid, sometimes broadly obovoid shape with large variation in size. The shape of operculum could be classified into three types: shortclaviform, broadly nippleshaped and obtuse. There are four types of epidermal ornamentations: straight striae, undulated striae, rounded punctum and herringboneshaped punctum. The principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that the classification of Begonia based on the seed micromorphology was incompletely consistent with the traditional classification on the section level based on the placenta; the ornamentation of seeds showed stability in different populations of a species; the operculum shape shows a considerable difference among morphologically similar species. Seed morphological characters may relate to the dispersal patterns which showed an adaptation to the living environment.

Key words: Begonia, Seed, Ornamentation, Systematics, Taxonomy

CLC Number: