P. Roels et E. Smets, A COMPARATIVE FLORAL ONTOGENIC STUDY BETWEEN ADOXA-MOSCHATELLINA AND SAMBUCUS-EBULUS, Belgian journal of botany, 127(2), 1994, pp. 157-170
In order to clarify the possible relationship between Adoxa and Sambuc
us, we studied the floral ontogeny of Adoxa moschatellina L. and Sambu
cus ebulus L. The following ontogenetical differences could be observe
d between both species: (1) a retardation in the development of the ab
axial side of the lateral flowers of A. moschatellina; (2) the initiat
ion of the corolla lobes of S. ebulus upon a ring-like extension and n
ot directly on a flattened floral apex as in A. moschatellina; (3) the
formation of a depression in the floral apex as the first step of the
gynoecial development in S. ebulus, which was not observed in A. mosc
hatellina. These differences are interpreted as variations of a same b
asic developmental pattern. Therefore, it is concluded that Adoxa evol
ved from an ancestor shared with Sambucus (or another Dipsacalean taxo
n). However, the possibility that the observed differences are the ref
lection of two different developmental patterns, is not completely rul
ed out.