Silique valves as sails in anemochory of Lunaria (Brassicaceae).

The generally held opinion that seeds of Lunaria remain at the replum after detachment of the two valves and then wind causes a shaking or rattling of the replum with its diaphragm, thus launching the seeds, is challenged. In a sparse forest in the Swabian Alb, the first author noticed flying valves of Lunaria rediviva to which the narrow-winged flat seeds are attached. Investigations with SEM and histology have shown that the valves secrete a glue only at those sites where the seeds rest on the valves before valve tissues die.

Evolution of gynoecium morphology in Old World Papaveroideae: a combined phylogenetic/ontogenetic approach.

Premise Of The Study: The correct assessment of homology is an important prerequisite for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships and character evolution. Old World Papaveroideae (Papaver, Meconopsis, Roemeria, Stylomecon) show substantial diversity in gynoecium and capsule morphology. In particular, capsules can have distinct styles (Meconopsis p.

Colonization of Host Plants by the Fire Blight Pathogen Erwinia amylovora Marked with Genes for Bioluminescence and Fluorescence.

ABSTRACT To follow the movement of Erwinia amylovora in plant tissue without dissection, this bacterium was marked with either the lux operon from Vibrio fischeri or the gfp gene from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, both carried on multicopy plasmids and expressed under the control of the lac promoter from Escherichia coli. Movement of the pathogen was visualized in leaves, stems, and roots of apple seedlings, and migration of E. amylovora was traced from inoculation sites in the stem to as far as the roots.