STUDIES ON THE DIMORPHISM OF THE PERSICARIA SENTICOSA NAKAI (Persicaria senticosa Nakai의 Dimorphism에 관한 연구)
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- Journal of Plant Biology
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- v.3 no.1
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- pp.16-25
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- 1960
HARN, Chang Yawl (Chonnam U. Kwangju, Korea): Siudies on the dimorpism of the Perisicaria senticosa Nakai-Kor. jour. Bot. 3(1) 16-25 During his researches regarding the morphological and physiological properties of Polygonecenae, the author has found that the species, Persicaria senticosa, aiso, besides the heterostylous plants of Polygonum family, Fagopyrum esculentum, and Persicaria japonica which was recently verified by the author as dimorphic, shows the typical floral structure of heterostylism, the description of which is not found in taxonomical works. Further research on this species have revealed that this plant, despite pressessing characteristic structural dimorphism, does not exhibit even the slight signs of heterostlylous properties physiologically. This is a deviation from the usual behavior of normal heterostylous plants. What is interesting is the fact that the physiological behavior of this species is quite contrary to that of P. japonica which is considered to be the most highly specialized dimorphic plant. Thus it is assurred that if some species of this family had taken a heterostylic form in its course of development from autogamy to allogamy, P. seoticosa would be the least differentiated type of dimorphic forms among the three heterostylous plants, including buckwheat, of this family. The results obtained in this experiment are summarized as follows: 1) P. senticosa has two forms of flower, one, long style-short stamened; the other, short style-long stamened. Not only conspicuous is this primary difference, but the secondary difference, such as pollen grain size, is noticeable between long and short styled individuals, thus expressing structurally the definite trait of a dimorphic plant. 2) Structural alteration of floral parts towards dimorphism has preceeded far less in comparison with those of the P. japonica and F. esculentum. 3) Elaborate studies on fertility reveal that this species does not show the slightest sign of the physiological characteristics of dimorphic plants. In other words, regardless of the modes of combinations, legitimate and illegitimate, fertilization and fruit setting flourish unimpaired. 4) Growth of pollen tubes apparently parallels the results in the fertility, tubes reaching ovary approximately 30 minutes after pollination both in legitimate and illegitimate combinations. Pollen tube penetration appears to be comparatively rapid. 5) A slight difference in the growth of pollen tube seems to exist between legitimate and illegitimate combinations, legitimate union giving slightly faster tube penetration. 6) In the present experiment it was clarified that P. senticosa, known to possess one form of flower in taxonomy, is in reality dimorphic plant having two of flowers. Although this species is definitely heterostylous in floral structure, physiological evidence and pollen tube behavior show that the differentiation of this plant toward the dimorphism has apparently proceeded slightly except for some parts of floral organ. In ordinary heterostylous plants it is a matter of common occurrence that when illegitimately cmbined, there is poor or no fertility, Contrary to the universal property of heterostylous plants, no difference is observed in the fertility and pollen tube growth between the legitimate and illegitimate combinations in the case of P. senticosa. Compared to the P. japonica and F. esculentum, which are supposed to have undergone high degree of dimorphic differentiation, it is an unavoidable conclusion that P. senticosa has not yet developed as a heterostyle plant except for some of its floral parts. If P. japonica is assumed to be the most differentiated type of hetenostylous plant, thenthe P. senticosa would be regarded as the primitive, retaining still the self-fertile nature so common to the Polygonum genus. In nature, however, this plant has a better chance to be pollinated legitimately owing to the two forms of flowers than to be pollinated illegitimately. The author is indebted to Dong Chul, Kim as well as other members of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics of Chonnam National University for their efforts out the laborious experiments during the course of the present studies.
HARN, Chang Yawl : Studies on the dimorphism and Fertility of Persicaria japonica (MEISSNER) Gross et Nakai. Kor Jour. Bot. 3(I) 1-15 1960 Numerous investigations, since the works of DARWIN, have been made regarding the heterostylous plants by JOST (1907), CORRENS (1924), LAIBACK (1924), LEWIS (1943), and many others. Studies on the heterostylous Polygomum, however, were not reported except for the buckwhent, Fagopyrum esculentum, which was investigated by SCHOCH-BODMER (1930), EAST (1934), FROLOVA & Co-Workers (1946), MORRIS (1947, 1951) TATEBE (1949, 1951, 1953), present author (1957), and others. It is because no heterostylous species, besides buckwheat, have been known to exist in the Polygonum family. The author, during his studies on both heterostylism and fertility of Polygonaceae, has found that the species, persicaria japonica (Meissner) Gross et Nakai, is not diecious as has been known in taxonomy, but in reality beterostylous both morphologically and physiologically. It was found that this plant, regarded by taxonomist, as a male plant setting no seed, actually set seed (botanical fruit) when legitimate combination was made. Since his brief report on the dimorphic phenomens of this plant in 1956, the author's further research on the manner of fertilization has revealed that this species is a peculiar type whose dimorphism has undergone extreme specialization structurally and physiologically, the short-styled individual behaving in nature as a male plant and the long-styled individual, as female, whereas in controllled pollination the plant shows highly differentiated typical dimorphism. When compared with the other dimorphous species of this family, F. esculentum and P. sentiosa. it has been clarified that these three species differ in the degree of differentiation of their dimorphism morphologically and physiologically. That is, P. japonica has developed such a high specialization as to mislead the taxonomists, while P. senticosa shows almost no noticeable difference between long- and shortstyled individuals retaining most of the inherent physiological character cmmon to the genus except for the fact that it has two forms of flowers. F. esculentum appears to have taken the intermediate position in every respect. The result obtained in the present experiment are summarized as follows: 1) P. japonica has two kinds of individuals, one long style-short stamened; the other, short style-long stamened. The floral structure of this plants shows typical characteristics of dimorphic heterostylism. The differentiation between the two forms of flower has proceeded so highly both in primary and secondary difference of flower structure that this may be regarded as the most specialized form of dimorphism. 2) The differences of floral structure between the long and short styled individuals are remarkable compared with the other dimorphic species of the family. 3) The stamens of long styled plants show the sign of deteriolation whereas those of the short styled flower are well-developed. 4) When legitimate combinations are made, both L- and S-styled individuals are fertilized well and set seed (fruit), while in the illegitimate combination no fertilization and seed setting occur. Physiologically this species exhibits the typical behavior of dimorphic plants. 5) The self-fertile character, so common in other species of the other non-heterostyle Polygonum family, has disappeared completely. 6) Under natural conditions, no or few seed setting is observed in short styled individuals that behave as if they were male plants. 7) In hand pollination, the combination of both