Anatomy of fleshy fruits in the monocots.
OBJECTIVE
An anatomical and developmental study of distantly related fleshy fruits in the monocots was undertaken to better understand the evolution of baccate fruits in the monocot clade as a whole. We studied 14 species with fleshy fruits spanning the Alismatales, Arecales, Asparagales, Commelinales, Dioscoreales, Liliales, and Poales to determine various mechanisms through which baccate fruits attain fleshiness at maturity.


METHODS
Flowers and fruits of various stages were collected, sectioned, stained, and examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.


RESULTS
Three basic pathways for attaining fleshiness were identified within the species examined (true berries, with a uniform pericarp; typical drupes, with an endocarp differentiated by the presence of stony pyrenes; and specialized drupes, involving mesocarp and endocarp differentiated by stone pyrenes). Furthermore, developmental characters differentiating basic fruit types were identified.


CONCLUSIONS
Fleshy fruits in the monocots do not develop through a single shared pathway, indicating that fleshiness has evolved multiple times within the clade.
The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York 10458-5126 USA Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, Maringá, Paraná 87020-900 Brazil tmarcela@gmail.com.
Marcela
M
Thadeo
The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York 10458-5126 USA Department of Biology, Oberlin College, 173 W Lorain St, Oberlin, Ohio 44074 USA.
Katherine E
KE
Hampilos
The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York 10458-5126 USA.
Dennis W
DW
Stevenson
D005638:Fruit / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D012639:Seeds / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development
berries; capsules; drupes; fruit anatomy; fruit development; monocots