Does the Floral Nectary in <i>Dracocephalum moldavica</i> L. Produce Nectar and Essential Oil? Structure and Histochemistry of the Nectary
<i>Dracocephalum moldavica</i> is an aromatic plant with a lemon scent and versatile use. Its flowers produce large amounts of nectar, which is collected by bees and bumblebees. The aim of the study was to investigate the structure of the floral nectary in this melliferous plant, which h...
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| author | Agata Konarska Elżbieta Weryszko-Chmielewska Marta Dmitruk Aneta Sulborska-Różycka Krystyna Piotrowska-Weryszko |
| author_facet | Agata Konarska Elżbieta Weryszko-Chmielewska Marta Dmitruk Aneta Sulborska-Różycka Krystyna Piotrowska-Weryszko |
| author_sort | Agata Konarska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Dracocephalum moldavica</i> is an aromatic plant with a lemon scent and versatile use. Its flowers produce large amounts of nectar, which is collected by bees and bumblebees. The aim of the study was to investigate the structure of the floral nectary in this melliferous plant, which has not been analysed to date. The analyses were carried out with the use of light, fluorescence, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy, as well as histochemical techniques. The four-lobed nectary with a diameter of 0.9–1.2 mm and a maximum height of 1.2 mm is located at the ovary base; one of its lobes is larger than the others and bears 20–30 nectarostomata and 8–9 glandular trichomes. The histochemical assays revealed the presence of essential oil and phenolic compounds in the nectary tissues and in glandular trichomes. The nectary tissues are supplied by xylem- and phloem-containing vascular bundles. The nectariferous parenchyma cells have numerous mitochondria, plastids, ribosomes, dictyosomes, ER profiles, vesicles, thin cell walls, and plasmodesmata. Starch grains are present only in the tissues of nectaries in floral buds. The study showed high metabolic activity of <i>D. moldavica</i> nectary glands, i.e., production of not only nectar but also essential oil, which may increase the attractiveness of the flowers to pollinators, inhibit the growth of fungal and bacterial pathogens, and limit pest foraging. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:28:47Z |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:28:47Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
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| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-db916e08fd6f4526a2c74e8a96e0acf52023-11-24T07:45:06ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372022-11-011111165010.3390/biology11111650Does the Floral Nectary in <i>Dracocephalum moldavica</i> L. Produce Nectar and Essential Oil? Structure and Histochemistry of the NectaryAgata Konarska0Elżbieta Weryszko-Chmielewska1Marta Dmitruk2Aneta Sulborska-Różycka3Krystyna Piotrowska-Weryszko4Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka 15, 20-950 Lublin, PolandDepartment of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka 15, 20-950 Lublin, PolandDepartment of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka 15, 20-950 Lublin, PolandDepartment of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka 15, 20-950 Lublin, PolandDepartment of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka 15, 20-950 Lublin, Poland<i>Dracocephalum moldavica</i> is an aromatic plant with a lemon scent and versatile use. Its flowers produce large amounts of nectar, which is collected by bees and bumblebees. The aim of the study was to investigate the structure of the floral nectary in this melliferous plant, which has not been analysed to date. The analyses were carried out with the use of light, fluorescence, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy, as well as histochemical techniques. The four-lobed nectary with a diameter of 0.9–1.2 mm and a maximum height of 1.2 mm is located at the ovary base; one of its lobes is larger than the others and bears 20–30 nectarostomata and 8–9 glandular trichomes. The histochemical assays revealed the presence of essential oil and phenolic compounds in the nectary tissues and in glandular trichomes. The nectary tissues are supplied by xylem- and phloem-containing vascular bundles. The nectariferous parenchyma cells have numerous mitochondria, plastids, ribosomes, dictyosomes, ER profiles, vesicles, thin cell walls, and plasmodesmata. Starch grains are present only in the tissues of nectaries in floral buds. The study showed high metabolic activity of <i>D. moldavica</i> nectary glands, i.e., production of not only nectar but also essential oil, which may increase the attractiveness of the flowers to pollinators, inhibit the growth of fungal and bacterial pathogens, and limit pest foraging.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/11/1650LamiaceaenectariesMoldavian balmmicromorphologyanatomyultrastructure |
| spellingShingle | Agata Konarska Elżbieta Weryszko-Chmielewska Marta Dmitruk Aneta Sulborska-Różycka Krystyna Piotrowska-Weryszko Does the Floral Nectary in <i>Dracocephalum moldavica</i> L. Produce Nectar and Essential Oil? Structure and Histochemistry of the Nectary Biology Lamiaceae nectaries Moldavian balm micromorphology anatomy ultrastructure |
| title | Does the Floral Nectary in <i>Dracocephalum moldavica</i> L. Produce Nectar and Essential Oil? Structure and Histochemistry of the Nectary |
| title_full | Does the Floral Nectary in <i>Dracocephalum moldavica</i> L. Produce Nectar and Essential Oil? Structure and Histochemistry of the Nectary |
| title_fullStr | Does the Floral Nectary in <i>Dracocephalum moldavica</i> L. Produce Nectar and Essential Oil? Structure and Histochemistry of the Nectary |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does the Floral Nectary in <i>Dracocephalum moldavica</i> L. Produce Nectar and Essential Oil? Structure and Histochemistry of the Nectary |
| title_short | Does the Floral Nectary in <i>Dracocephalum moldavica</i> L. Produce Nectar and Essential Oil? Structure and Histochemistry of the Nectary |
| title_sort | does the floral nectary in i dracocephalum moldavica i l produce nectar and essential oil structure and histochemistry of the nectary |
| topic | Lamiaceae nectaries Moldavian balm micromorphology anatomy ultrastructure |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/11/1650 |
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