ИСТИНА

The detailed anatomical structure of fruits in a number of palm genera have not yet been investigated, which makes their study particularly pertinent for understanding the histological and structural diversity of their pericarp as well as determining the fruit type specific for every taxon. Of particular interest are the fruits of monotypic genera, taxa with specific phylogenetic relationships and local endemics, such as Tahina spectabilis J. Dransf. & Rakotoarin. – a extraordinary palm, endemic to Madagascar. Its almost fleshy pericarp is differentiated into the exocarp (single-layered epidermis composed of small thin-walled cells), multilayered mesocarp (55-65 cell layers) and the endocarp (single-layered colorless thin-walled and closely adjacent to each other cells). In the peripheral zone of the mesocarp there is a continuous narrow belt of sclereids located under the hypodermis and isolated from the exocarp by a few layers of thin-walled cells, which do not play a protective function. Based on the anatomy the fruits of T. spectabilis are considered to be berries of Nuphar type, similar to other representatives of the tribe Caryoteae (Wallichia), Chuniophoeniceae (Chuniophoenix, Kerriodoxa), Corypheae (Corypha), which belong to the ‘syncarpous clade’ of coryphoid palms, and representatives of the tribes Sabaleae (Sabal). It is revealed that the septa of T. spectabilis fruits are incompletely fused and so, the fruit is incompletely trilocular similar to representatives of Calamoideae.