BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
31 March 2010 Observations on the Floral Morphology of Sassafras randaiense (Lauraceae)
Kuo-Fang Chung, Henk van der Werff, Ching-I. Peng
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The floral morphology of Sassafras randaiense (Hayata) Rehder (Lauraceae), a rare species endemic to Taiwan, has never been well documented. Consequently, much confusion exists in taxonomic literature regarding its flower structure and reproductive biology. To clarify these matters, we observed 20 flowering individuals of S. randaiense in their native habitats in the spring of 2007. The inflorescences of S. randaiense are highly reduced panicles to botryoid cymes, with up to 10 such inflorescences clustered subterminally to form an umbel of panicles and/or cymes. Its flowers are bisexual, and its third-whorl anthers are extrorse, structured as a typical hermaphroditic flower of Lauraceae. Our observations also revealed that its flowers are protogynous and flowers in a reproductive shoot alternate their sexual phase synchronously, suggesting the sexual system of synchronous dichogamy. The temporal dioecy imposed by this sexual system may explain why S. randaiense has been variously described as a dioecious, androdioecious, or polygamous species in the past.

Kuo-Fang Chung, Henk van der Werff, and Ching-I. Peng "Observations on the Floral Morphology of Sassafras randaiense (Lauraceae)," Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 97(1), 1-10, (31 March 2010). https://doi.org/10.3417/2008029
Published: 31 March 2010
KEYWORDS
floral morphology
Lauraceae
plant sexual system
Sassafras
Taiwan
taxonomy
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top