Format: ORAL

Kheta Ram1, Sumitra K. Choudhary1, Ashok K. Patel1

1. Biotechnology and Plant Systematics Laboratory, Department of Botany, Jai Narain Vyas University Jodhpur, Rajasthan; India

Cleome viscosa, the Asian spiderflower, is a fast-growing annual herb with hermaphroditic features, part of the Cleomaceae family. Thriving in warm, humid environments, it prefers full sunlight and is often found in wet soils along roadsides and open areas. In traditional medicine like Ayurveda, it is used for liver ailments, joint pain, and mental disorders. Flowering occurs from August to November, depending on rainfall. An intriguing aspect is the rare floral reversion phenomenon, where floral organs transform into leafy structures. This implies that the flower is a modified shoot, activating shoot meristem into floral meristem, akin to mechanisms in Arabidopsis thaliana using the ABCDE model. Photographic and microscopic documentation reveals this unique transformation, with gynoecium and androecium turning into leaf-like structures. Post-reversion, the plant displays continuous growth, developing single leaves with alternate arrangements. Androecium modification shows leaf/filament or anther development with trichomes, and abnormal pollen grain development. Gynoecium transformation includes improper ovule development.These findings suggest floral reversion results from imbalanced expression of ABCDE genes or plant growth regulators. In conclusion, C. viscosas exceptional floral reversion highlights its adaptability and genetic plasticity. This evidence contributes to our understanding of floral development, with broader implications for plant morphogenesis. Continued molecular investigations promise to advance comprehension not only in C. viscosa but in other plant species, fostering progress in plant biology research.