Page 1 - Morphoanatomical investigations of cones and pollen in Cathaya argyrophylla Chung & Kuang (Pinaceae, Coniferales) under systematical and evolutional aspects

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Feddes Repertorium 2014, 125, 25–38 DOI: 10.1002/fedr.201400035

RESEARCH PAPER

Morpho-anatomical investigations of cones and

pollen in Cathaya argyrophylla Chung & Kuang
(Pinaceae, Coniferales) under systematical

and evolutional aspects

1
2
Veit Martin Dörken , Hubertus Nimsch
1 University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, M 613 Universitätsstr. 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
2 St. Ulrich 31, 79283 Bollschweil – St. Ulrich, Germany

The results of the morpho-anatomical investigations show that seed- and pollen-cones of Submitted: November 25, 2014
Cathaya represent the typical bauplan for Pinaceae. Several features were found that Revised: January 7, 2015
suggest a closer relationship of Cathaya to Picea and Pinus on the one hand and also to Accepted: January 26, 2015
Larix and Pseudotsuga on the other hand. However, the large pollen-cones of Cathaya
resemble in length and number of microsporangiophores those of Cedrus. Cathaya shows
also features that are unique among recent Pinaceae like a sylleptic flush of shoots and
seed-cones. Also the absence of bud scales surrounding the seed-cone and the special
microstructure of the pollen grain surface are unique. These features suggest a rather
isolate position for Cathaya among recent Pinaceae. Some anomalous microsporangio-
phores showing three instead of the typical two sporangia lead to the idea that the hypo-
sporangiate microsporangiophores in Pinaceae might be structures derived from a former
perisporangiate type as shown for Taxaceae.

Keywords:
Cathaya, Pinaceae, morphology, pollen, ovule, cone-scale, seed-scale

*
1 Introduction 2001; Holy et al. 2012; Bouchal 2013). The recent Ca-
thaya argyrophylla was discovered in 1955 and first
Today the Chinese genus Cathaya, native in SE- described in 1958 (Chun & Kuang 1958). It is a quite
Setchuan, NE-Guangxi, Guizhou and S-Hunnan (Farjon rare conifer with only about 4000 individuals in nature
2010a), is regarded as being monotypic. In older litera- (Ge et al. 1998). Its current Red List Category and Crite-
ture e.g. Den Ouden & Boom (1965) or Dallimore & ria is “vulnerable D1” (Yang & Liao 2013). It is rarely
Jackson (1966) apart from C. argyrophylla a second seen in cultivation especially outside of China. In Europe
species C. nanchuanensis from Setchuan is listed. To- only few Botanic Gardens and botanic collections are
day only C. argyrophylla is accepted (e.g. Eckenwalder cultivating this conifer. The two major problems in culti-
2009; Farjon 2001, 2010a; Mabberley 2008; Debreczy & vating Cathaya are the limited availability of seeds and
Racz 2011). However, in the past Cathaya had a greater especially its limited hardiness. Thus in central Europe
diversity and was widespread in the in Holarctic (e.g. Cathaya is, when available at all, cultivated in temperate
Ferguson 1967; Sivak, 1976; Liu et al. 1997; Liu & Ba- houses or at climatically protected sites.
singer 2000; Suc & Drivaliari 1991; SAITO et al. 2000, In its natural habitat C. argyrophylla is a medium
sized evergreen tree, reaching up to 20 m in height.
Correspondence: Dr. Veit Martin Dörken, University of Cathaya is monoecic. Male and female cones are ar-
Konstanz, Department of Biology, M 613, Universitätsstr. 10, ranged in a similar way as in other Pinaceae (e.g. De-
78457 Konstanz breczy & Racz 2011; Eckenwalder 2009; Farjon 2010a,
E-Mail: veit.doerken@uni-konstanz.de
Phone: +49-07531-88-2043 b; Jackson 1945; Neger & Münch 1952; Kindel 1995;
Fax: +49-07531-88-2966 Krüssmann 1955, 1983; Liu 1971; Mirov 1967; Page

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