研究概要

RESEARCH: Evolution of development in land plants (3) Evolution of pseudanthium in Houttuynia cordata

Tomomi Sugaya (graduate student in SOKENDAI [The Graduate University for Advanced Studies]), Dr. Hiroaki Mano, and Assist. Prof. Yosuke Tamada

A flower of Houttuynia cordata (Saururaceae, Piperales) does not form any petals and sepals. Instead, an inflorescence of H. cordata looks to be a flower, since bracts of basal four flowers are enlarged and become petal-like. To infer the evolutionary process of such inflorescences called pseudanthium, Ms. Sugaya succeeded to tranform H. cordata and is analyzing some candidate gene functions with advice of Dr. Hiroaki Mano and Assist. Prof. Yosuke Tamada.

An inflorescence of H. cordata looks to be a flower, since bracts of basal four flowers are enlarged and become petal-like.