Key message Anther development and dehiscence is considered from an evolutionary
perspective to identify drivers for differentiation, functional conservation and to identify key …

Higher plants have evolved to be one of the predominant life forms on this planet. A great
deal of this evolutionary success relies in a very short gametophytic phase which underlies …

Friedman WE, RC Moore, and MD Purugganan. 2004. The evolution of plant development.
Am. J. Bot. 91: 1726–1741. Friis EM, PR Crane, and KP Pedersen. 1997. Fossil history of …

In higher plants, timely degradation of tapetal cells, the innermost sporophytic cells of the
anther wall layer, is a prerequisite for the development of viable pollen grains. However …

Increasingly robust understanding of angiosperm phylogeny allows more secure
reconstruction of the flower in the most recent common ancestor of extant angiosperms and …

The present classification of extant flowering plants (Magnoliopsida) updates and revises
those presented previously by bringing together the vast majority of new information …

Pollen fecundity is crucial to crop productivity and also to biodiversity in general. Pollen
development is supported by the tapetum, a metabolically active sporophytic nurse layer that …

The exine of angiosperm pollen grains is usually covered by a complex mix of metabolites
including pollen-specific hydroxycinnamic acid amides (HCAAs) and flavonoid glycosides …

Recent advances in phylogeny reconstruction and floral genetics set the stage for new
investigations of the origin and diversification of the flower. We review the current state of …

Main conclusion The appearance of new cellular structures and characteristics in the
tapetum suggests that there is still much to discover that would help to better understand the …