ABSTRACT
Background and aims: In 1997, Tsou described the special differentiation of the connective tissues of some species of Theaceae to produce single-celled powders with unique patterns called pseudopollen. The purpose of this study was to investigate the morphological structure of the pseudopollen of Camellia oleifera (Theaceae) and to study the morphology of pseudopollen in seven other Camellia species. Methods: Scanning electron microscopy, paraffin section, light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, histochemistry. Key result: C. oleifera pseudopollen was similar to normal pollen in macroscopic morphology but different microscopically. The normal pollen was starch-rich and yellow, with mostly reticulate exine ornamentation. In contrast, the pseudopollen was a white powder, single-celled and rich in protein, with parallel unbranched ridge lines on the outer wall, and originated from the parenchyma of the connective tissues. There are also differences in the micro-characteristics of normal and pseudopollen among different species in Camellia. Conclusion: There are great differences in morphological structure between C. oleifera and other species in Camellia normal pollen and pseudopollen; these results may indicate that the pseudopollen can be used as a taxonomic basis for Camellia, and the macroscopic similarity between pseudopollen and pollen and histochemical characteristics of pseudopollen can be a pollination strategy.
ABSTRACT
Camellia oleifera Abel. is an important woody oil plant, and its pollination success is essential for oil production. We conducted this study to select the best pollinator candidates for C. oleifera using principal component analysis and multi-attribute decision-making. Field observations of the flower-visiting characteristics of candidate pollinators were conducted at three sites. The insect species that visited flowers did not considerably differ between regions or time periods. However, the proportion of each species recorded did vary. We recorded eleven main candidates from two orders and six families at the three sites. The pollen amount carried by Apis mellifera was significantly higher than that of other insects. However, the visit frequency and body length of Apis mellifera were smaller than those of Vespa velutina. Statistical analysis showed that A. mellifera is the best candidate pollinator; Eristaliscerealis is a good candidate pollinator; Phytomia zonata, A. cerana, and V. velutina were ordinary candidate pollinators; and four fly species, Episyrphus balteatus, and Eristalinus arvorum were classified as inefficient candidate pollinators. Our study shows that flies and hoverflies play an important role in the pollination system. Given the global decline in bee populations, the role of flies should also be considered in C. oleifera seed production.
ABSTRACT
In the cation of the title salt, C(24)H(24)N(7) (3+)·3C(6)H(2)N(3)O(7) (-)·2C(2)H(3)N, the three benzimidazolium ring systems are oriented to each other at dihedral angles of 10.42â (7), 23.98â (7) and 22.17â (7)°. In the crystal, the cation links to the adjacent picrate anions via N-Hâ¯O hydrogen bonds; one of independent acetonitrile solvent mol-ecules is also linked to the cation via an N-Hâ¯N hydrogen bond.
ABSTRACT
The crystal structure of the title compound, [Cd(C(29)H(29)N(5))(2)](C(6)H(2)N(3)O(7))(2), consists of Cd(II) complex cations and picrate anions. In the complex cation, the Cd(II) ion is chelated by two bis-(1-allyl-benzimidazol-2-ylmeth-yl)benzyl-amine (babb) ligands in a distorted octa-hedral geometry. Extensive C-Hâ¯O hydrogen bonding occurs between cations and anions in the crystal structure.
