Algumas observações sobre as células do tapete dos estames

Resumo

The tapetal cells or the nutritive cells of the anthers show a new and very interesting research field. We have taken material for this study from different groups mainly from Gymnospermae, Monocotyledoneae and Dicotyledoneae, being Cytinus hypocistus L. a total parasite of Cistus salviaefolius L.

The development of the nutritive cells usually begins much earlier than that of the mother cells of the microspores, that is to say, the nutritive cells reach the highest development with one or two mitosis when the microspores reaches more or less the zygote stage. At this stage, the nutritive cells are of more intense color than the others and less vacuolated. Then, they loose the chromatic appearance having a turgescence aspect as at natural state; alterwards, a new abnormal state begins.

There is a very narrow relationship between the development of the nutritive cells and that of the mother cells of the microspores as we have been handling with Hydnocarpus. In such a plant (anther of hermaphrodite flower), the nucleus of the nutritive cells does not divide itself, as it was lacking an hormonal substance and the mother cells of the microspores become thin until complete disappearance which usually does not reach the end of the meiosis.

A simillar fact we can observe with Araucaria. When the partial connection between the nutritive cell and the mother cell of the microspore we can observe a thinness of the mother cell of the microspore and even a little de- laying regarding the meiotic phenomenon.