However, the reproductive organs (stamen and pistil) are isolated in the flower by two morphological barriers: the
staminode crown, which isolates the stigmatic arms, and the petals (cogule) involving the anthers.
Trees; leaves digitate;
staminode undeveloped, 8-10 mm.
Torchio (1974) described how females of a pollen-wasp butt the
staminode to reach the nectaries, thereby rasping their punctate thoracic dorsa against the dentate anthers.
In Lecythidaceae, Lecythidoideae have predominantly monosymmetric flowers, mainly with different stamen (
staminode) shapes (Tsou & Mori, 2007).
In Heliconia, a single stamen develops as an infertile, often callose,
staminode (Kirchoff et al., 2009).
For identification and description of the different species we used the morphological characters of growth habit, leaf-size, flower-size, petal-size, nectar scale and
staminode size and shape, and also the density of setae and trichomes (scabrid and glochidiate).
Different definitions can be applied for
staminodes. For Watson and Dallwitz (1992-), a
staminode is a sterile stamen, or a modified structure identifiable as such, borne in the androecial region of the flower.
The adaxial and abaxial stamen pairs show various degrees of asymmetry; either pair can be missing entirely or develop only as
staminodes, or there may be a fifth stamen or
staminode present in the adaxial median position.
The interaction between pollinator size and the bristle
staminode of Penstemon digitalis (Scrophulariaceae).