Abstract
Flowering plants showcase a remarkable diversity in floral fragrances, colours, and structures, which function harmoniously as signals to attract and guide pollinators. Like visual signals, the scents emitted by flowers can be associated with the attraction of specific pollinator classes. As such, divergence in floral scent composition can be a key isolation mechanism for speciation. Between continents, the leafy vegetable Gynandropsis gynandra possesses differences in morphology, phenology, foliar chemodiversity, and pollinators. Importantly, G. gynandra is pollinated by hawkmoths in Africa, and bees and butterflies in Asia. Here, we combined chemical, morphological, and transcriptome analyses to assess differences in the floral scent and scent-releasing structures between African and Asian G. gynandra accessions, and within flowers of the same accession. The prevalence of nitriles and benzenoids in the floral fragrance of the African and Asian accessions, respectively, corresponds to features typically associated with their differing pollinator classes. Further, we uncovered differences in floral epidermal cell morphology, with papillae present on the petal claws and nectary of the African accession and absent (or reduced) for the Asian accession. Through transcriptomic analyses, we showed that the stalk-like floral structures are putatively involved in terpenoid biosynthesis and emission. However, the epidermal cell morphology and staining suggests that the petals, stamens, and stigma may be involved in scent production of other floral volatile classes (e.g., nitrogen-containing compounds). These additional phytochemical and morphological distinctions between African and Asian accessions suggest that the divergent forms of G. gynandra may merit taxonomic recognition at subspecies level.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
African accessions have prevalent floral nitriles.
- Taxon
- Gynandropsis gynandra
Gynandropsis gynandrat0 - Material
- Africane0
- Organ / stage
- florale0
- Outcome
- prevalence of nitrilese0
- Qualifier
- differing pollinator classese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The prevalence of nitriles and benzenoids in the floral fragrance of the African and Asian accessions, respectively, corresponds to features typically associated with their differing pollinator classes.”
t0“Gynandropsis gynandra”
Claim · model-written summary
Asian accessions have prevalent floral benzenoids.
- Taxon
- Gynandropsis gynandraGynandropsis gynandrat0
- Material
- Asiane0
- Organ / stage
- florale0
- Outcome
- benzenoids in the floral fragrancee0
- Qualifier
- differing pollinator classese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The prevalence of nitriles and benzenoids in the floral fragrance of the African and Asian accessions, respectively, corresponds to features typically associated with their differing pollinator classes.”
t0“Gynandropsis gynandra”
Claim · model-written summary
Papillae occur on African accession petal claws and nectary.
- Taxon
- Gynandropsis gynandraGynandropsis gynandrat0
- Material
- African accessione0
- Organ / stage
- petal claws and nectarye0
- Outcome
- papillae presente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Further, we uncovered differences in floral epidermal cell morphology, with papillae present on the petal claws and nectary of the African accession and absent (or reduced) for the Asian accession.”
t0“Gynandropsis gynandra”
Claim · model-written summary
Papillae are absent or reduced in the Asian accession.
- Taxon
- Gynandropsis gynandraGynandropsis gynandrat0
- Material
- Asian accessione0
- Organ / stage
- floral epidermal celle0
- Outcome
- absent (or reduced)e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Further, we uncovered differences in floral epidermal cell morphology, with papillae present on the petal claws and nectary of the African accession and absent (or reduced) for the Asian accession.”
t0“Gynandropsis gynandra”
Claim · model-written summary
Stalk-like floral structures were putatively involved in terpenoid biosynthesis and emission.
- Taxon
- Gynandropsis gynandraGynandropsis gynandrat0
- Organ / stage
- stalk-like floral structurese0
- Outcome
- terpenoid biosynthesis and emissione0
- Qualifier
- putatively involvede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Through transcriptomic analyses, we showed that the stalk-like floral structures are putatively involved in terpenoid biosynthesis and emission.”
t0“Gynandropsis gynandra”
Claim · model-written summary
Petals, stamens and stigma may produce other floral volatiles.
- Taxon
- Gynandropsis gynandraGynandropsis gynandrat0
- Organ / stage
- petals, stamens, and stigmae0
- Outcome
- scent production of other floral volatile classese0
- Qualifier
- may be involvede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“However, the epidermal cell morphology and staining suggests that the petals, stamens, and stigma may be involved in scent production of other floral volatile classes (e.g., nitrogen-containing compounds).”
t0“Gynandropsis gynandra”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest divergent forms may merit subspecies recognition.
- Taxon
- G. gynandraGynandropsis gynandrae0
- Outcome
- taxonomic recognition at subspecies levele0
- Qualifier
- may merite0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These additional phytochemical and morphological distinctions between African and Asian accessions suggest that the divergent forms of G. gynandra may merit taxonomic recognition at subspecies level.”