Modern Phytomorphology 6: 47, 2014

THE NECTARY STRUCTURE AND NECTAR PRODUCTION IN OF MEZEREUM L.

Mirosława Chwil

Key words: Daphne, , nectary, morphology, nectar production

Department of Botany, University of Life Science in Lublin, Akademicka 15, 20-950 Lublin, Poland; [email protected]

The Daphne L. comprises 100 as well as nectar production in flowers of . This name is derived from the name of D. mezereum. a nymph, one of the daughters of the rivergod D. mezereum belongs to the earliest flowering Pineios, who was transformed into a laurel (I-V) melliferous . Densely packed flowers to escape the amorous Apollo. Two species, are borne in clusters of 2-3 in the axils of already D. mezereum L. and D. cneorum L., grow in the fallen . A pink corolla with fused wild in Poland. D. mezereum is more common, has a diameter of 1-1.5 cm. Eight are but it is rarely found in the whole country. attached to the corolla tube. InDaphne flowers, D. cneorum grows in the Małopolska Upland the nectary surrounds a superior borne and in the Lublin region. These taxa are fully on a gynophore. In D. merezeum, this gland protected in Poland. Various plant species of the forms a ring around the base of the ovary. genus Daphne are considered to be ornamental, In Daphne flowers, the stomata secrete nectar medicinal, poisonous and bee plants. In the onto the nectary surface. The parenchyma cells bark of D. mezereum and in buds of D. odora of the nectary (longitudinal section) consist Thunb., there is a high content of daphnin of 4-7 layers. The vascular tissue supplying and more than 20% of coumarins. Plants of the nectary reaches the subnectariferous the genus Daphne are poisonous and contain parenchyma, while the branches of phloem harmful substances, among others a glycoside elements reach the base of the nectariferous daphnin and a resinous substance mezerein. The parenchyma. Flowers of D. mezereum produce nectaries in flowers of the nectar in abundance. The colourful corolla filled are classified as annular or intrastaminal. with nectar attracts bees and butterflies. The aim of this study was to analyse the location and structure of the floral nectaries

© The Author(s), 2014