Pericarp ontogeny and structure of Prestonia riedelii (Mull. Arg.) Markgr. (Apocynaceae)

(Pericarp ontogeny and structure of Prestonia riedelii (Mull. Arg.) Markgr. (Apocynaceae)). The aim of this work was to describe the morphology, and ontogeny of P. riedelii fruits to aid in taxonomic, ecological and phylogenetic studies in Apocynaceae. Fruits were fixed in FAA, embedded in plastic resin, sectioned at 10 im and stained with toluidine blue, for structural analysis. The fruit of P. riedelli is a follicarium, with two follicular fruitlets. The epicarp is one-cell-layered, with trichomes and thick cuticle. The mesocarp, originating from fundamental ovary tissue, is parenchymatous with laticifers, non-lignified fibers and vascular bundles. The endocarp sensu lato is two-cell-layered of crossed sclereids, originating front the inner ovary epidermis and from a single layer of parenchyma cells of fundamental ovary tissue. Follicle dehiscence is lateral and the dehiscence process involves anatomical characteristics such as a dehiscence zone with thin-walled cells. non-lignified fibers in the mesocarp and crossed sclereids in the endocarp.23372973