chlorophyll autofluorescence in globular and heart-shaped embryos of some dicotyledons

Abstract

The regions in early embryos of several species display chlorophyll autofluorescence in a certain order. First, autofluorescence in Pisum sativum appears in the basal part of globular embryos; in Lathyrus vernus in the basal part of early heart embryos; in Cardamine pratensis at the sides of the hypocotyl or in Phaseolus vulgaris in the hypocotyl of elongating heart-shaped embryos. Chlorophyll autofluorescence in an embryo proper of Pisum coincides with the development of a lamellar system in the plastids. The suspensorial plastids remain undifferentiated with one or two DNA positive nucleoids. Cardamine, Lathyrus, Phaseolus and Pisum suspensors give no chlorophyll autofluorescence.

Keywords

• chlorophyll in embryogenesis
• embryonic plastids
• Pisum
• Phaseolus
• Lathyrus
• Cardamine