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KMID : 0381920100400040237
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Korean Journal of Microscopy
2010 Volume.40 No. 4 p.237 ~ p.244
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Morphological Differentiation of the Trap in Aquatic and Terrestrial Utricularia Species
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Lee Kyoung-Lan
Kim In-Sun
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Abstract
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Utricularia forms small, but complex carnivorous trap along the stem either in water or in soil depending upon species. The shapes and sizes of the traps, appendages, and trichomes are known to differ among aquatic, terrestrial and epiphytic species. In the present study, the morphology and microstructure of the trap in aquatic Utricularia japonica and terrestrial U. livida were examined using light and electron microscopy. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of trap features between the aquatic and terrestrial species. The trap was found to be comprised of a thin walled bladder with numerous capitate trichomes, two-armed bifid and four-armed quadrifid glands in both species; however, the traps of the two species were different in size, and number and morphology of the trichomes and glands. Aquatic Utricularia was chlorenchymatous with chloroplasts distributed throughout the body, whereas the terrestrial species was translucent without plastids due to an adaptation to underground habitats. Furthermore, the former differed considerably in that the traps developed antenna and appendages around the entrance area. A peculiar trap entrance was also noted in U. livida, which exhibited radiating rows of various trichomes within funnel-shaped tissue. A large number of glandular trichomes covered the entrance area and door surface with four trigger hairs each in the aquatic form but only two in the terrestrial form. The glandular trichomes near the door secreted a large amount of mucilage that temporarily composed the velum in the U. japonica, however, it was not observed in the terrestrial species. All of the aforementioned features were highly related in their structure and function during carnivorous mechanism in Utricularia. The current findings provide important data for further comparison of the different life forms within Utricularia.
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KEYWORD
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Aquatic, Morphology, Microstructure, Terrestrial, Trap, Utricularia species
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