Despite extensive literatures on the morphology, ultrastructure, phylogenetic distribution, and pollination biology of nectaries, little is known about their ontogeny or the genes directing their development. In the Brassicaceae, nectaries are positioned at the base of the stamens. The nectaries consist of glands with nectar secretion likely occurring through the stomata located at their apex. Although nectaries are associated with stamens in wild-type Arabidopsis flowers, their development does not depend on the presence of the stamens since nectaries develop in singly and multiply mutant strains that lack stamens. Genetic evidence to date suggests that the development of nectaries may be independent of the expression of the ABC genes that specify the identity of the other floral organs.
Expression continues in all cells of the nectary throughout floral development.
Characterization of CRC and other genes known to be expressed in nectaries will provide a foundation for the molecular and genetic description of nectary development in a model species and develop tools that may be utilized to examine the question of whether similar molecular mechanisms control nectary development in evolutionarily divergent angiosperm species.