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Annals of Botany 82: 577-586, 1998
© 1998 Annals of Botany Company

Interactions Between Physical and Biological Constraints in the Structure of the Inflorescences of the Araceae

BERNARD JEUNE and DENIS BARABÉ

Laboratoire d'Ecologie, URA 258, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Bât. C, 2étage, 4 Place Jussieu, 75 252, Paris, Cedex 05, France Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Jardin botanique de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke Est, Montréal, Canada, H1X 2B2

March 30, 1998 . June 19, 1998 .

A study of the inflorescences ofMonsteraandAnthuriumwas used to establish a relationship between biological and physical constraints for the structure of plant organs. The physical constraint between flowers in the compact inflorescences ofAnthuriumandMonsterais expressed by Aboav-Weaire's law. The application of this law to inflorescences indicates a linear relationship between the number of sides of a flower and the number of sides of neighbouring flowers. However, the slope of this straight line is significantly higher forAnthuriumandMonsterathan that expected in theory. This deviation from the law is attributable to a biological cause that can be estimated using Aboav-Weaire's law. Acting alone, the biological constraint tends to produce four-sided flowers. The equilibrium between biological and physical constraints reduces the number of sides per flower from six (theoretical value) to 5.9 (inAnthurium) or 5.8 (inMonstera) with a variance of the measures less than that expected in theory. Furthermore, when flower density in an inflorescence increases (towards the middle of the inflorescence inMonsteraand towards the lower section forAnthurium) the number of sides approaches six (i.e. the physical constraint dominates). When flower density decreases (towards the top of the inflorescence) the number of sides approaches 5.5 (i.e. the biological constraint dominates). The geometry of the inflorescences ofAnthuriumandMonsterais the result of the joint action of biological and physical constraints.Copyright 1998 Annals of Botany Company

Monstera,Anthurium, Araceae, Aboav-Weaire, inflorescence, constraint, flower.


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