Agnieszka K. Kowalkowska

University of Gdansk Faculty of Biology · Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology

The vast majority of fly-pollinated Bulbophyllum species use a combination of visual and olfactory clues to mimic food sources and brood/oviposition sites of pollinators. The aims of the present work were to characterize the floral secretory tissue and the floral scent and compare them with those previously described in B. echinolabium. Based on th...

Orchids are widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of a whole range of different health conditions, and representatives of the Neotropical subtribe Maxillariinae are not an exception. They are utilized, for instance, for their spasmolytic and anti-inflammatory activities. In this work, we analyze the literature concerning the chemica...

Background Orchids have evolved various strategies that aim to ensure their reproduction success. These may include the production of rewards for pollinators, or on the contrary, deception. Specific sets of features such as flower morphology, color, nectar, and odor presence (or lack thereof) are considered to determine suitability for pollination...

Ornithophily has been long speculated to occur in the subtribe Maxillariinae (Orchidaceae), relying either solely on micromorphological analyses or scarce field observations of undefined species. In Guatemala we were able to observe regular visits of the azure-crowned hummingbirds feeding on flowers of Ornithidium fulgens. These observations have l...

Floral morphological adaptations and composition of secretions aim to ensure reproductive success. Maxillariella is part of the largest subtribe of Orchidaceae, and Maxillariella spp. are important components of the orchid flora of the Neotropics. The aim of this paper was to provide a detailed study of the reproductive biology of three morphologic...

According to the politics in Elsevier, we couldn't upload the file on ResearchGate. Please, see the link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0254629920311182?dgcid=author This micromorphological, chemical and ultrastructural study is a continuation of research conducted on fly-pollinated species. The aim of proposed project is to...

The genus Cypripedium is one of five monophyletic genera within slipper orchids. Nuclear ribosomal ITS, nuclear low copy gene (ACO) and plastid data were used for molecular clock analyses. According to these analyses, the most recent common ancestor of Cypripedium appeared in the early Eocene. The Irapeana section is the oldest phylogenetic line wi...

This micromorphological, chemical and ultrastructural study is a continuation of research conducted on the section Lepidorhiza. The Bulbophyllum echinolabium flowers comprised features that characterize a sapromyophilous syndrome, having large, glistening parts that emit an intense scent of rotten meat. The secretory activity was described in the h...

The genus Maxillaria s.l. constitutes the core of the subtribe Maxillariinae Benth. It is estimated that ca 56% of the Maxillaria species attract pollinators by 'empty promises'. Among the rest, there are three types of reward: nectar, pseudopollen and wax-like substances. In this paper we present the results of the investigation of lip epidermi...

The analysis of flowers collected at different stages of anthesis provides strong evidence to conclude that the shell-shaped hypochile and the knobs of epichile form a nectary. The scent comes from the aromatic constituents of nectar and the epichile tissue and the apices of all tepals (osmophores). The comparison between pollinated and unpollinate...

Four Dactylorhiza taxa in the D. incarnata/maculata complex were examined to identify differences in floral traits, using micromorphological, histochemical and ultrastructural studies on spur and labellum structure. Flowers were collected at anthesis from four monospecific populations in Gdańsk, Pomerania, northern Poland. The flowers revealed secr...

Four Dactylorhiza species within the Dactylorhiza incarnata/maculata complex were examined to identify differences in floral traits, using micromorphological, histochemical, and ultrastructural studies on spur and labellum structure. Flowers were collected at anthesis from four monospecific populations in Gdańsk Pomerania, northern Poland. The Dact...

The pdf is available here: https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s00709-017-1156-2?author_access_token=QLA0eOZi7ESCBHpEF1107ve4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY4V6DYhG3tKmxHP9vEuFbspmeQGzghphkQF_h8ubJHn6mWQz2bRYTfG0XvuEikOnraKJgxxVMvNjIMuAaWZiV_ugmwN4ltS1nFoNNO_6bxdzQ%3D%3D Two representatives of section Lepidorhiza, previously sometimes considered conspecific,...

Flowers of Bulbophyllum weberi and B. cumingii are characterized by fly-pollinated features. The secretory activity was described in dorsal sepals in both species (putative osmophores), petals in B. weberi (possible osmophores) and adaxial surface of lips in both species. In the cells of dorsal sepals and petals of B. weberi proteins, dihydroxyphen...

Background and Aims Despite their significant capacity to propagate vegetatively, most orchids reproduce via seeds. Sexual reproduction via seed is commonly reported, in contrast to apomixis, whereby seeds are clones of the mother. Although insect pollination and autonomous self-pollination exist in mycoheterotrophic plants, the reproductive embryo...

Epipogium aphyllum is a European-Asian obligatory mycoheterotrophic orchid containing no chlorophyll. Flowers are not resupinate with a sack-shape spur and cordate lip, which is divided into two parts: the basal (hypochile) and distal one (epichile). The floral analysis provides strong evidence to conclude that nectar is secreted on the upper surfa...

In Viola odorata two inferior anthers have connective appendages (nectaries) projecting into the corolla spur. Nectaries are approx. 4 mm long, elongate, with the top of the nectary bending to the lateral wall of the spur. In the top part and in the abaxial surface of middle part of the nectary all cells have papillae. Nectar is secreted through th...

The lip of Epipactis palustris consists of two movably joined parts: the basal part (hypochile) with central broad isthmus and epichile with callus. The analysis of flowers provides strong evidence to conclude that the whole surface of lip callus and abaxial side of isthmus are secretory. The exudation at first appears on callus, at early stages, l...

histological and ultrastructural features of osmophores and nectary of Bulbophyllum wendlandianum (Kraenzl.) Dammer (B. section Cirrhopetalum Lindl., Abstract The species from Bulbophyllinae are generally regarded as fly-pollinated: myophilous or sapromyophil-ous. The section Cirrhopetalum is characterized by umbellate inflorescence and elongated l...

Since the description of the Neotropical genus Vargasiella in 1952, its taxonomic position has remained unclear, mainly due to a lack of sufficient data. In this study, the taxonomic position of Vargasiella was revised based on the outcomes of macro- and micromorphological studies, analyses of selected molecular markers and ecological methods of ni...

Paphiopedilum canhii was discovered in Northern Vietnam. Since its description in 2010, it has caused a stir among taxonomists due to its interesting mixture of morphological features, i.e. marbled, relatively thick leaves, flowers similar to species classified in the section Barbata, and unique, large staminodial shield. On the basis of these feat...

The conditions favouring self-pollination are determined for a species of Dendrobium Sw. A survey of gynostemium micromorphology in collected flowers of Dendrobium biflorum revealed two stages of a unique form of autogamy: on germination of pollen tetrads, pollen tubes reached the stigmatic region without the pollen being displaced from the anther...

Floral spurs are regarded as features affecting pollinator behaviour. Anacamptis pyramidalis is regarded as a deceitful, non-rewarding orchid species. In the form fumeauxiana, additional spurs occur on the lateral sepals. In this study we analyse micromorphological and ultrastructural floral features and suggest the mechanism of deception in A. pyr...

Anacamptis pyramidalis shows great phenotypic variability. Additional lateral sepal spurs were observed in f. fumeauxiana. We used light and scanning electron microscopy to examine the anatomy of the lip spur and additional lateral sepal spur(s). The spurs have the same anatomical structure. We describe the features of the inner and external epider...

Two new species of Disperis -D.fayi from the Central African Republic and D. szolc-rogozinskiana from Cameroon - are described, illustrated and compared with their putative closest relatives.

There are no papers examining the labellar micromorphology in Malaxidinae in detail. The aim of this paper is to present the results of labellar micromorphology of our studies on Malaxidinae. The micromorphology of nine species was examined and described (calli, nectaries, OP structures, concavities). These species are divided into six groups of wh...

A taxonomic revision of the genus Dienia (Malaxidinae, Orchidaceae) is completed. Determination keys for closely similar Asian Malaxidinae genera and Dienia species, as well as descriptions and illustrations of the two accepted species are provided.

Materials to the flora of Orchidaceae in Guinea, West Africa, are presented. Based on examination of 1258 herbarium specimens, 54 genera and 153 species are reported from this country. Descriptions, ecological requirements, distribution, citations of studied materials, illustrations and distribution maps for most of the species are provided. Keys t...