"Elaioplasts" observed in Vanilla planifolia, Funkia Sieboldiana and Althaea rosea exhibit all the features characteristic of lipotubuloids earlier described in Ornithogalum umbellatum. They are cytoplasmic domains containing aggregates of lipid bodies connected with microtubules. The immunogold technique confirmed the presence of tubulin in this domain. These structures do not have their own membranes but they are surrounded by a tonoplast at the side of a vacuole since they invaginate into it. In cytoplasm of this domain among lipid bodies there are numerous ribosomes, ER cisternae and vesicles as well as few mitochondria, Golgi structures and microbodies while at older developmental stages there are also autolytic vacuoles. The fact that they are so similar to O. umbellatum lipotubuloids suggest that "elaioplasts" of V. planifolia, F. Sieboldiana and A. rosea can also be named lipotubuloids.
We examined the ultrastructure of plastids during the development and degradation (programmed cell death) of the secretory tapetum in Ornithogalum virens, a species with a pollen coat. Plastids present in meristematic tapetum cells differentiate into amyloplasts and function as amyloplasts during the period of tapetal activity. They undergo two cycles of starch synthesis and hydrolysis before entering the degradation phase in which their structure disintegrates and plastoglobules form, preceding pollen coat formation. We showed that during these processes the plastids are nonrandomly distributed in tapetal cells and that the spatial relation between the plastids, cell nuclei and ER depends on the stage of tapetum and pollen development. We also showed that polar distribution of the plastids and polar localization of starch hydrolysis activity characterized the phase of intensive tapetal secretion.