Figure 4.

(A) Analysis of melon flowers at anthesis stage using a stereomicroscope and microtomography. Transversal view of ♂ (a) and ♀ (b) flowers under a stereomicroscope. Microtomographic transversal and sagittal views of ♂ (c,e) and ♀ (d,f) flowers. Three-dimensional cross sectional views of total 2D nectary surface area (g,h) and 3D views of total nectary volumes (i,j) extracted from 3D models of flowers types (♂, ♀). St, stamen; Sg, stigma; Co, corolla; Opt, one pixel thickness; Ne, nectary; Nes, nectary surface; and Nev, nectary volume. The scale bar represents 1 mm. (B) comparison of 2D and 3D parameters between flower types (♂, ♀): flower width (k), cross-sectional nectary area (l), total 2D nectary surface area (m), and nectary volume (n) of ♂ and ♀ flowers calculated using microtomography. Male = M; female = F.; N.S. = not significant; *** = p < 0.001.