[Initial stages of the root system development in three Impatiens species (Balsaminaceae family)].

Peculiarities of the development of morphological and anatomical structures of the root system have been studied in the seedlings of three Impatiens species at the early and subsequent stages of their ontogenesis. Correspondence between the revealed structure and the ecological originality of species, especially in the case of the aboriginal touch-me-not balsam, whose allorhizy can be revealed only at the anatomical level, is discussed.

The multiple fuzzy origins of woodiness within Balsaminaceae using an integrated approach. Where do we draw the line?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The family Balsaminaceae is essentially herbaceous, except for some woodier species that can be described as 'woody' herbs or small shrubs. The family is nested within the so-called balsaminoid clade of Ericales, including the exclusively woody families Tetrameristaceae and Marcgraviaceae, which is sister to the remaining families of the predominantly woody order. A molecular phylogeny of Balsaminaceae is compared with wood anatomical observations to find out whether the woodier species are derived from herbaceous taxa (i.e. secondary woodiness), or whether woodiness in the family represents the ancestral state for the order (i.e. primary woodiness). METHODS: Wood anatomical observations of 68 Impatiens species and Hydrocera triflora, of which 47 are included in a multigene phylogeny, are carried out using light and scanning electron microscopy and compared with the molecular phylogenetic insights. KEY RESULTS: There is much continuous variation in wood development between the Impatiens species studied, making the distinction between herbaceousness and woodiness difficult. However, the most woody species, unambiguously considered as truly woody shrubs, all display paedomorphic wood features pointing to secondary woodiness. This hypothesis is further supported by the molecular phylogeny, demonstrating that these most woody species are derived from herbaceous (or less woody) species in at least five independent clades. Wood formation in H. triflora is mostly confined to the ribs of the stems and shows paedomorphic wood features as well, suggesting that the common ancestor of Balsaminaceae was probably herbaceous. CONCLUSIONS: The terms 'herbaceousness' and 'woodiness' are notoriously difficult to use in Balsaminaceae. However, anatomical observations and molecular sequence data show that the woodier species are derived from less woody or clearly herbaceous species, demonstrating that secondary woodiness has evolved in parallel.

[Hairy root induced by wild-type agrobacterium rhizogenes K599 in soybean, cucumber and garden balsam in vivo].

The plantlets of soybean, cucumber and garden balsam were inoculated by wild-type Agrobacterium rhizogenes K599, and hairy root was induced on inoculated sites in vivo. The frequencies of hairy root induction from wound cotyledons of soybean, cucumber and garden balsam were 100%, 65% and 91%, respectively. Moreover, hairy root was induced from healthy cucumber axillary bud with frequency of 10%. PCR analysis of hairy root DNA was conducted using the primers from rolC gene. The PCR results showed that all hairy root lines contained T-DNA. The established system should be ideal for studying soybean and cucumber nematode and garden balsam breeding of flower dwarf architecture.