Keywords
introduced plants
African lily
How to Cite
Abstract
Agapanthus (Agapanthus praecox) is a perennial herb belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family, of economic importance, given its medicinal and ornamental uses, and ecological since it is reported as an invasive species. Despite this, there are no anatomical studies that allow us to elucidate structures and serve as a basis for explaining their adaptations and uses in future studies. Therefore, this work aimed to carry out a descriptive approach to the anatomy of vegetative and female reproductive organs of A. praecox subsp. praecox. To do this, freehand cross sections were made, to which Astra blue-fuchsin stain was subsequently applied. The presence of raphid-type calcium oxalate crystals, extensive storage tissue in the root and rhizome, and, specifically for the root and leaf, secretory channels were found. In the reproductive part, a scape with several layers of chlorenchyma and sclerenchyma was observed, the ovary presents axillary placentation and septal nectaries characteristic of the family. Finally, it is necessary to continue with histochemistry studies and identification of metabolites that explain its success in different conditions and benefits in medicine.
References
Arroyo, S. C., & Cutler, D. F. (1984). Evolutionary and Taxonomic Aspects of the Internal Morphology in Amaryllidaceae from South America and Southern Africa. Kew Bulletin, 39(3), 467. https://doi.org/10.2307/4108592
Cenizo, V. J., Mazzola, M. B., Corró Molas, B. M., & Kin, A. G. (2013). Características morfológicas y anatómicas de las plántulas de Trichocereus candicans (Cactaceae). Boletín de la Sociedad Argentina de Botánica, 48(3-4), 443-451.
Fishchuk, O. S. (2021). Comparative flower morphology of Agapanthus africanus and A. praecox (Amaryllidaceae). Regulatory Mechanisms in Biosystems, 12(4), 620-627. https://doi.org/10.15421/022185
García Duque, J. J., Franco Ospina, M. C., Cardona Ramírez, D. E., & Quijano Abril, M. A. (2016). Categorización y análisis de la distribución de especies introducidas, establecidas e invasoras del Oriente Antioqueño. En Flora del Oriente Antioqueño. Biodiversidad, ecología y estrategias de conservación (pp. 109-136). Fondo Editorial Universidad Católica de Oriente.
Konno, K., Inoue, T. A., & Nakamura, M. (2014). Synergistic Defensive Function of Raphides and Protease through the Needle Effect. PLoS ONE, 9(3), e91341. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0091341
Meerow, A. W., & Snijman, D. A. (1998). Amaryllidaceae. En K. Kubitzki (Ed.), Flowering Plants · Monocotyledons (pp. 83–110). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03533-7_11
Özdemir, C., & Alçitepe, E. (2010). Morphological and anatomical study on Galanthus gracilis (Amaryllidaceae). Acta Botanica Hungarica, 52(1-2), 151-157. https://doi.org/10.1556/ABot.52.2010.1-2.13
Perrone, R., Salmeri, C., Brullo, S., Colombo, P., & De Castro, O. (2015). What do leaf anatomy and micro-morphology tell us about the psammophilous Pancratium maritimum L. (Amaryllidaceae) in response to sand dune conditions? Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants, 213, 20-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2015.03.001
Sharaibi, O. J., & Afolayan, A. J. (2017). Micromorphological Characterization of the Leaf and Rhizome of Agapanthus praecox subsp. praecox Willd. (Amaryllidaceae). Journal of Botany, 2017, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3075638
Sharaibi, O. J., & Afolayan, A. J. (2018). Phytochemical Analysis and Toxicity Evaluation of Acetone, Aqueous and Methanolic Leaf Extracts of Agapanthus praecox Willd. Journal of Complementary Medicine & Alternative Healthcare, 7(5). https://doi.org/10.19080/JCMAH.2018.07.555722
Takos, A., & Rook, F. (2013). Towards a Molecular Understanding of the Biosynthesis of Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids in Support of Their Expanding Medical Use. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 14(6), 11713-11741. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms140611713
Zhang, D., Shen, X., & Zhuo, L. (2011). Flower Development and Anatomy of Agapanthus praecox ssp. orientalis (Leighton) Leighton. Agricultural Sciences in China, 10(9), 1365-1373. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1671-2927(11)60129-6
Zotz, G., Schickenberg, N., & Albach, D. (2017). The velamen radicum is common among terrestrial monocotyledons. Annals of Botany, 120(5), 625-632. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcx097
Snoeijer, W. (2004). Agapanthus: A revision of the genus. Timber Press, in association with the Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society.
Delucchi, G., & Hurrell, J. (2009). Flora Rioplatense 3(4): Agapanthaceae (pp. 11-18).
Global Invasive Species Database. (2022, diciembre 14). Species profile: Agapanthus praecox. http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=1724
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2023 Laura Valeria Cubillos Ariza