{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.018783176806859942, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.805555555555555, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 1, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
The Developmental Basis of Morphological Diversification and Synorganization in Flowers of Conospermeae (Stirlingia and Conosperminae: Proteaceae)

This comparative study of the monophyletic Stirlingia, Synaphea, and Conospermum (Proteaceae) aims to understand the morphology and function of the flowers as well as to determine the developmental processes responsible for extensive synorganization and floral architectural divergence. The diverse floral architectures among these taxa result from independent developmental processes, both morphogenetic and histogenic, as well as regional modularization of floral organs. Most of the structures and the underlying developmental processes associated with synorganization are present in all of the taxa, including fused tepal claws, coherent anthers, stamen adnation to the tepals, and style-filament and filament-filament support. In Synaphea and most Conospermum spp., the tepal limbs are fused, and there is support between the stamens and style involved with pollination syndromes. These are the products of changes in the timing of developmental events and/or relative shifts in the location of these events. Among Conospermum flowers, a novel support/enclosure feature between the adaxial and abaxial stamens and middle region of the style results from greater cellular differentiation. In Synaphea, the novel synorganization of staminode and stigma appears to be the product of differences in the timing (both accelerated and delayed) of expression of four different developmental processes. Divergence among the three genera appears related to a shift in symmetry from actinomorphy (Stirlingia) to zygomorphy (Conospermum and Synaphea). Synaphea and most species of Conospermum have a bilabiate perianth and a partially sterile androecium although the sterility is found in different halves of the flower (abaxial half of androecium is sterile in Conospermum, and the adaxial half is sterile in Synaphea). The hypothesis that zygomorphy and the bilabiate condition arose separately in each lineage is tentatively supported by developmental differences. Stigma diversity among the three genera results from different expressions of marginal meristematic growth (a novelty in the clade). Most developmental processes are shared among taxa and vary only in their timing and duration of expression. The variation results in both elaborations and altered spatial relationships among the structures.