A taxonomic study on pollen morphology, karyotype features, floral and fruit pigment components of 13 taxa of Lonicera L.

Abstract

Due to extensive introduction and breeding, the taxonomic relationships of Lonicera L. are unclear. Alternative scientific methods are needed to explore the classification of these new Lonicera. In this paper, the pollen morphology characteristics, karyotype features, and floral and fruit pigment components of 13 taxa of Lonicera were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy, karyotype analysis, High Performance Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The 13 representatives of Lonicera were divided into groups of four, three, three and three taxa through the analysis of pollen morphology characteristics, karyotype features, floral composition and fruit pigment composition, respectively. Lonicera ruprechtiana and Lonicera tatarica always clustered together. Five hybrids, including Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera maackii and Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 8 can generally be clustered with their parents. These results indicate that the analysis of pollen morphology characteristics, karyotype features, and floral and fruit pigment composition has value and significance for the study of systematic classification and relationships, and the conclusions of this study partially support morphological taxonomy.

Keywords:

• Lonicera hybrid
• pollen morphology
• karyotype features
• floral and fruit pigment components
• taxonomy

Author contributions

Da LongLi: Determination of floral and fruit pigment components. Xiaoou Zhai: Observation and measurement of pollen morphology. Liwei Sun and Xing Ji: Sampling and photography of chromosome karyotype features. Sijia Zhang: Data curation. Yujiao Zhang and Wenxiu Shen: Image processing. Hui Zhang and Feng Qian: Cluster analysis. Huimin Liu: Writing – original draft.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Plate 1. Scanning Electron Microscope photographs in polar view of 13 taxa of Lonicera.

(1) Lonicera maackii, (2) Lonicera ferdinandi, (3) Lonicera korolkowi, (4) Lonicera tatarica, (5) Lonicera ruprechtiana, (6) Lonicera chrysantha, (7) Lonicera tatarinowii, (8) Lonicera edulis, (9) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera maackii, (10) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 1, (11) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 2, (12) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 4, (13) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 8.

Plate 2. Scanning Electron Microscope photographs in equatorial view of 13 taxa of Lonicera.

(1) Lonicera maackii, (2) Lonicera ferdinandi, (3) Lonicera korolkowi, (4) Lonicera tatarica, (5) Lonicera ruprechtiana, (6) Lonicera chrysantha, (7) Lonicera tatarinowii, (8) Lonicera edulis, (9) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera maackii, (10) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 1, (11) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 2, (12) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 4, (13) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 8.

Plate 3. Scanning Electron Microscope photographs of the exine ornamention of 13 taxa of Lonicera.

(1) Lonicera maackii, (2) Lonicera ferdinandi, (3) Lonicera korolkowi, (4) Lonicera tatarica, (5) Lonicera ruprechtiana, (6) Lonicera chrysantha, (7) Lonicera tatarinowii, (8) Lonicera edulis, (9) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera maackii, (10) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 1, (11) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 2, (12) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 4, (13) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 8.

Plate 4. Chromosome characteristics of 13 taxa of Lonicera.

(1) Lonicera maackii, (2) Lonicera ferdinandi, (3) Lonicera korolkowi, (4) Lonicera tatarica, (5) Lonicera ruprechtiana, (6) Lonicera chrysantha, (7) Lonicera tatarinowii, (8) Lonicera edulis, (9) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera maackii, (10) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 1, (11) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 2, (12) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 4, (13) Lonicera korolkow × Lonicera tatarica No. 8.

Additional information

Funding

This work has received funding from the Open Project of Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.