A model for the stamens abortion at pre-meiosis in Litsea cubeba

Sex differentiation and formation have been an intriguing topic in the plant kingdom, yet, the mechanism of degenerative organs development in male and female flowers is poorly understood. Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers., a popular essential oil crop, is a dioecious species with degenerative sexual organs in both male and female individuals.We conclude that the abortion of male and female flowers occurred during pre-meiosis in L. cubeba by cytological observation. Furthermore, the arrest of stamens in female flowers involved plant hormones, especially SA biosynthesis, which may regulate the formation of staminodes. We constructed a hypothetical model of abortion of stamens in female flower in L. cubeba. This study provides a valuable foundation for understanding pre-meiotic stamen abortion in female flowers.