Staminate floral development in Begonia cucullata var. hookeri and three double-flowering begonia cultivars, examples of homeosis
Homeosis is a process whereby features characteristic of one structure are found in the position that a different structure normally occupies. In three double-flowering begonia cultivars, perianth features are expressed in the positions stamens occupy in a single-flowering begonia. The staminate flower of Begonia cucullata var. hookeri (Willd.) consists of two broad sepals, two small petals in a more or less decussate arrangement, and an androecium of numerous stamens. The staminate flowers of Begonia semperflorens-cultorum ‘Cinderella’, ‘Goldie Locks’, and ‘Lucy Lockett’ also have a perianth of two sepals and two petals, but sepaloid and petaloid appendages form in positions that stamens occupy in the single-flowered progenitor. Using epi-iilumination microscopy, we found that early stages of floral development in the double-flowering cultivars are similar to the early stages of development in the single-flowered begonia, while later stages diverge remarkably. The first primordia that will form petaloid appendages are small and round at the time of initiation, similar in appearance and position to those primordia that become stamens in the single-flowered begonia. As these primordia develop, they broaden and flatten, forming perianth-like appendages. Keywords: homeosis, begonia, double flower, floral development.