Abstract
Aldrovanda vesiculosa used in this study was grown ex-vitro after in vitro propagation. Fine structure was observed by LM, direct SEM observation and TEM of conventionally fixed or rapid-frozen specimens.
The shoot apex was found to be exposed, not covered by leaf primordia. Stamens and pistil were closely situated in the flower facilitating self-pollination. Endosperm in seeds contained mostly amyloplasts and protein bodies for storage, while the embryo contained lipid bodies and amyloplasts. A root structure was identified when the seeds germinated. Numerous well developed amyloplasts were observed in winter resting buds. Observation of young carnivorous leaves revealed characteristic structures of their glands and hairs: development of ER, tannin vacuoles, and Labyrinthin walls in digestive glands; abundant plasmodesmata and conspicuously developed ER in sensory hairs; and the proliferation of Golgi bodies in absorptive hairs. The localization of acid phosphatase in developing digestive glands was examined by cytochemistry using cerium.
