通过显微和亚显微观察对地椒( Thymus quinquecostatus Celak .) 花蜜腺的发育进行了研究。 地椒花蜜腺位于子房基部的花盘上, 属于盘状蜜腺, 新鲜时呈绿色。 蜜腺由分泌表皮和泌蜜组织组成, 分泌表皮为一层细胞, 表皮细胞角质膜较厚, 表皮上分布着大量的气孔器, 气孔器突出于表面;泌蜜组织细胞多层。 花盘中央有维管束通向子房, 在维管束和泌蜜组织之间有 4 ～ 5 层大型的薄壁细胞。 蜜腺由花盘的表皮及其内侧相邻的细胞发育而来, 在发育过程中, 其细胞中的液泡和贮藏的淀粉、蛋白质都发生了规律性的变化。 原蜜由花盘维管束提供, 经过泌蜜组织加工成蜜汁后, 通过气孔排出体外。
 

With the aid of scanning electron microscope and paraffin sectio n, the mo rphology,structure and development of floral nectary in Thymus quinquecostatus Celak. were investig ated .The
flo ral nectary of Thymus quinquecostatus is on the disc at the base of ovary .It belongs to discous nectary .The nectary is composed of secretory epidermis and nectariferous tissue .The cuticle membrane on secretory epidermis is comparatively thicker and many stoma apparatuses scatter in the epidermis .The stoma apparatus rises high on the surface of flo ral nectary .The nectariferous tissue is of several layers of cells .There are vascular bundles in the middle part of disc .Between nectariferous tissue and the vascular bundles ex ist big parenchyma of about 4 to 5 lay ers of cells .The nectary initiates from the superficial layer cells of the disc.During the development of nectary , the vacuoles, starch grains and protein of cells change regularly. Pre-nectar is provided by the vascular bundles of the disc. Nectar formed in nectariferous tissue is secreted by the stomata.