Developmental and cellular basis of sexual dimorphism in litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn. cv. Feizixiao).

The Sapindaceae family, an economically important group of plants, consists predominantly of monoecious species bearing unisexual flowers. As a key commercial crop in Southeast Asia, litchi (Litchi chinensis) faces yield limitations due to dichogamy and low female flower ratios. Here, we combine morphological, histological, and ultrastructural approaches to systematically analyze sex differentiation in 'Feizixiao' litchi. Our study establishes a standardized eight-stage classification system (S1-S8) for litchi floral development based on bud diameter and morphological traits, revealing that sexual dimorphism first emerges at stage S2 (1.0-1.5mm bud diameter) through divergent organogenesis: female flowers prioritize carpel development while male and cryptic male flowers exhibit preferential anther growth. Male flowers undergo complete carpel arrest post-meiosis via tetrad-stage ovule degeneration, whereas cryptic male flowers display bimodal abortion phenotypes-either early termination (mirroring male flowers) or progressive degeneration during embryo sac maturation. Androecial dimorphism is equally pronounced: successful anther dehiscence in male/cryptic male flowers results from coordinated middle layer degradation and tapetal PCD, while female flowers exhibit developmental arrest featuring delayed tapetal PCD initiation, disrupted anther wall lignification, and consequent indehiscence. These findings provide a cellular basis for manipulating litchi sex differentiation to enhance yield and advance understanding of Sapindaceae sexual differentiation.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Plant Science

• Publication date

  2025-11-01

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/j.plantsci.2025.112860PMID 41213476
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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