Anyone know this flower?

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by otnorot, Jul 23, 2007.

  1. otnorot

    otnorot Member

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    Location:
    Toronto Ontario Canada
    The owner sent a flower head to Dr. Arthur O. Tucker
    Dept. of Agriculture & Natural Resources
    1200 N. Dupont Highway
    Delaware State University
    And this is the reply
    Wow! Your flower is really a mystery! In all characters except flowers it matches with a species allied to Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot). However, the calyx consists of five, irregular, wavy sepals rather than a lobed tube. Corollas were not present on the dried specimen, but the photos seem to show tiny actinomorphic (radially symmetric) flowers, not the zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetric) flowers typical of the Lamiaceae (mint family). There are recorded instances of zygomorphic flowers becoming actinomorphic in the Lamiales by loss-of-function mutations in genes such as CYCLOIDEA, and I assume this is what happened here. I could not find any seeds; all ovules were aborted.

    Typically these sorts of mutations are not stable. If it persists into the next flowering season, then this is eminently patentable.
     
  2. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Interestingly, our director here at the garden does research on CYCLOIDEA genes and floral development. If it does come up next year, do let me know and I'll bring it to his attention.
     

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