Reproductive biology of the dioecious understorey palm Chamaedorea radicalis in a Mexican cloud forest: pollination vector, flowering phenology and female fecundity

2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Berry ◽  
David L. Gorchov
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Wind Pollination ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Female Fecundity ◽  
Male Density ◽  
Sexual Composition ◽  
Chamaedorea Radicalis ◽  
Pollen Vector

The reproductive biology of the dioecious understorey palm Chamaedorea radicalis was investigated in order to identify the primary pollen vector and quantify the relationship between female fecundity and local neighbourhood sexual composition. The study was conducted in a montane mesophyll forest within the El Cielo Biosphere Reserve, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The species is considered vulnerable in Mexico and there are concerns about the sustainability of leaf harvest. We determined that wind is the primary pollen vector, based both on floral and pollen morphological characters, and on a pollinator exclosure experiment. Successful wind pollination of this understorey palm was facilitated by the extended flowering period of males, which allows one male to be a source of pollen to receptive females for as long as a month. The number of flowers and fruits borne on a female were dependent on female size, however, no size parameter correlated well with fruit set. Fruit set was also not dependent on local sexual composition, male density or distance to the nearest male, suggesting that in this study area female reproductive success is not limited by the availability of pollen.

scholarly journals Understanding plant reproductive diversity

2010 ◽  
Vol 365 (1537) ◽  
pp. 99-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer C. H. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Wind Pollination ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Evolutionary Transitions ◽  
Floral Diversity ◽  
Self Fertilization ◽  
Personal Reflections ◽  
Animal Pollination

Flowering plants display spectacular floral diversity and a bewildering array of reproductive adaptations that promote mating, particularly outbreeding. A striking feature of this diversity is that related species often differ in pollination and mating systems, and intraspecific variation in sexual traits is not unusual, especially among herbaceous plants. This variation provides opportunities for evolutionary biologists to link micro-evolutionary processes to the macro-evolutionary patterns that are evident within lineages. Here, I provide some personal reflections on recent progress in our understanding of the ecology and evolution of plant reproductive diversity. I begin with a brief historical sketch of the major developments in this field and then focus on three of the most significant evolutionary transitions in the reproductive biology of flowering plants: the pathway from outcrossing to predominant self-fertilization, the origin of separate sexes (females and males) from hermaphroditism and the shift from animal pollination to wind pollination. For each evolutionary transition, I consider what we have discovered and some of the problems that still remain unsolved. I conclude by discussing how new approaches might influence future research in plant reproductive biology.

Ecology, reproductive biology and hybridization in Gaultheria L.

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Middleton
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Change ◽  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Male Sterile ◽  
Fleshy Fruits

The ecology, reproductive biology and hybridization of species in the genus Gaultheria (Ericaceae) has been investigated with particular reference to those species in Ecuador. Most species were found to be plants of disturbed ground particularly on roadside banks and forest margins. The species in Ecuador were not seen to be visited by potential pollinators although fruit set was high. No animals were seen to eat the fleshy fruits. Male sterile plants of many species from throughout the distribution of the genus were observed indicating a higher level of gynodioecism in the genus than previously thought. Empty anthers in two Ecuadorean species suggests that gynodioecism may be present in many species without any clear morphological change. A hybrid between Gaultheria myrsinoides and G. reticulata has been found in Ecuador.

Reproductive biology and diet of the longtail butterfly ray Gymnura poecilura (Shaw, 1804) along western Bay of Bengal

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-470
Author(s):  
Muktha Menon ◽  
G. Maheswarudu ◽  
K. Sree Ramulu ◽  
Shoba Joe Kizhakudan
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Maximum Size ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Feeding Intensity ◽  
Disc Width ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Index Of Relative Importance ◽  
Western Bay Of Bengal ◽  
Gravid Females ◽  
Size At Birth

AbstractThe reproductive biology and diet of the longtail butterfly ray Gymnura poecilura is described based on 630 specimens (N = 377 females and 253 males). The mean disc width (WD) of females and males was 576.7 mm (range = 190–920 mm) and 416.3 mm (230–550 mm), respectively. Sexual dimorphism in size was seen, with the maximum size of males being only 60% of the maximum female size. The disc widths at 50% maturity (WD50) were estimated to be 506.5 mm (females) and 435.9 mm (males). The mean uterine fecundity was 3.3 (range = 1–8). The size at birth was between 190 and 220 mm WD. Year-round reproduction was indicated, due to the presence of mature males and gravid females throughout the year, neonates in multiple months and large variations in embryo size within months. Feeding intensity increased with body size. Fish accounted for 80.9% of the diet (Index of Relative Importance, IRI), followed by crustaceans (18.9%) and molluscs. The species was found to be a specialized feeder.

Vertebrate pollination of the endemic Trochetia granulata (Malvaceae) on Réunion

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothée Le Péchon ◽  
Mickaël Sanchez ◽  
Laurence Humeau ◽  
Luc D.B. Gigord ◽  
Li-Bing Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Breeding System ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Pollination Ecology ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Compatibility Studies ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Pollen Vector

Abstract:The pollination ecology and breeding system of Trochetia granulata (Malvaceae), an endemic tree species from Réunion were studied. In 2010–2011, compatibility studies were conducted on a total of 154 flowers from 35 different individuals using three different hand pollination treatments: (a) autofertility, (b) self-pollination and (c) cross-pollination. During the period, we also studied the pollination ecology of T. granulata. During 48 h of video recordings, we tracked flower visits to T. granulata in six different sites and studied the behaviour of the visitors. The results from the hand-cross experiments show that T. granulata is self-compatible (60.8% fruit set) but cannot produce fruit (5.4% fruit set) without the visit of a pollen vector. During surveys, four different visitors were reported: the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera), two endemic species of white-eye (Zosterops borbonicus borbonicus and Z. olivaceus) and the endemic Réunion day gecko (Phelsuma borbonica). This study documented a new case of vertebrate-pollination by lizard and birds in an insular context. These interactions might be linked to several uncommon floral traits of Trochetia species.

Pollination and breeding system of a neotropical palm Astrocaryum vulgare in Guyana: a test of the predictability of syndromes

2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
TRISHA K. CONSIGLIO ◽  
GODFREY R. BOURNE
Keyword(s):  
Breeding System ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Experimental Testing ◽  
Pollination Syndrome ◽  
Wind Pollination ◽  
System Study ◽  
Pollination Syndromes ◽  
Insect Pollinators ◽  
Insect Visitors ◽  
Oviposition Sites

A pollination and breeding system study was conducted on a neotropical palm, Astrocaryum vulgare, in Guyana, South America, to better understand its reproductive character evolution, and test the predictability of pollination syndromes. The pollination syndrome approach was used because it integrates characteristics of flowers and their pollinators into an evolutionary framework that allowed experimental testing of predictions. The flowers of A. vulgare displayed traits that were typical of both beetle and wind pollination syndromes. The protogynous inflorescences produced heat and odour during nocturnal anthesis, had numerous stamens with copious, light pollen, and were visited by hordes of beetles that used the inflorescences as feeding, mating and oviposition sites. In contrast, some of these features, such as numerous stamens with copious, light pollen, a high pollen to ovule ratio, and no obvious production of visitor rewards, were also typical of the wind pollination syndrome. However, floral rewards appeared to be tissues of the fleshy staminate petals and pollen that were readily devoured by the beetles. In addition to the Coleoptera, insect visitors to A. vulgare inflorescences included several species of Hymenoptera, Diptera and Orthoptera. However, only Nitidulidae and Curculionidae beetles were effective insect pollinators. Pollination treatments showed that wind pollination was possible, but fruit set was significantly higher for female flowers visited by beetles. Although a pollen/ovule ratio of 50 000:1 and outcrossing index confirmed an outcrossing breeding system, pollination experiments suggested that A. vulgare had the potential for self pollination. Therefore, the breeding system might be best classified as facultatively xenogamous (cross fertilizing). The predictive value of potential pollinator agents for A. vulgare was inadequate because its floral traits were indicative of both cantharophilous and anemophilous pollination syndromes.

scholarly journals Female fecundity variation affects reproducibility of experiments on host plant preference and acceptance in a phytophagous insect

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1849) ◽  
pp. 20162643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Schäpers ◽  
Hampus Petrén ◽  
Christopher W. Wheat ◽  
Christer Wiklund ◽  
Magne Friberg
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Host Specialization ◽  
Host Acceptance ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Female Fecundity ◽  
Host Plant Preference ◽  
Ecological Experiments ◽  
Female Host

Reproducibility is a scientific cornerstone. Many recent studies, however, describe a reproducibility crisis and call for assessments of reproducibility across scientific domains. Here, we explore the reproducibility of a classic ecological experiment—that of assessing female host plant preference and acceptance in phytophagous insects, a group in which host specialization is a key driver of diversification. We exposed multiple cohorts of Pieris napi butterflies from the same population to traditional host acceptance and preference tests on three Brassicaceae host species. Whereas the host plant rank order was highly reproducible, the propensity to oviposit on low-ranked hosts varied significantly even among cohorts exposed to similar conditions. Much variation could be attributed to among-cohort variation in female fecundity, a trait strongly correlated both to female size and to the size of the nuptial gift a female receives during mating. Small males provide small spermatophores, and in our experiment small females that mated with small males had a disproportionally low propensity to oviposit on low-ranked hosts. Hence, our results provide empirical support to the theoretical prediction that female host utilization is strongly affected by non-genetic, environmental variation, and that such variation can affect the reproducibility of ecological experiments even under seemingly identical conditions.

Beetle pollination and fruit predation of Xanthosoma daguense (Araceae) in an Andean cloud forest in Colombia

2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos García-Robledo ◽  
Gustavo Kattan ◽  
Carolina Murcia ◽  
Paulina Quintero-Marín
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Female Reproductive Success ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Tropical Cloud Forest ◽  
Nitidulid Beetles ◽  
Pollination Systems

This study describes a pollination system in a species of Araceae that involves three species of beetle, one of which is also a fruit predator. In a tropical cloud forest in Colombia, inflorescences of Xanthosoma daguense opened at dusk, releasing a sweet scent and raising their temperature 1–3 °C. Soon after, two species of Scarabaeidae (Dynastinae; Cyclocephala gregaria and C. amblyopsis) and one species of Nitidulidae (Macrostola costulata) arrived with pollen. Cyclocephala beetles remained inside the inflorescence for 24 h. The next night, Cyclocephala beetles left the inflorescence after picking up the freshly shed pollen, almost always moving to the nearest inflorescence available. The probability of inflorescence abortion and number of fruits set after the visit of one individual was equivalent for both Cyclocephala species. However, C. gregaria was much more abundant than C. amblyopsis, so it was the most important pollinator. There was a positive relationship between the number of dynastine visits and the number of fruits produced. Besides carrying pollen to the inflorescences, nitidulid beetles had a negative effect on female reproductive success through fruit predation. Nitidulid larvae developed inside the infructescence and preyed on up to 64% of the fruits. However, 8% of inflorescences not visited by dynastines were probably pollinated by nitidulids, because hand-pollination experiments showed that self-pollination was unlikely. Inflorescences potentially pollinated by nitidulids comprised 25% of the fruit crop in the year of our study. This interaction with a fruit predator that is also a potential pollinator resembles brood-site pollination systems in which pollinators prey on part of the fruit set (e.g. Ficus, senita cacti, Yucca), making this system substantially more complex than previously described dynastine-pollinated systems in aroids.

scholarly journals Reproductive Biology of a Medicinal Orchid Satyarium Nepalense (Orchidaceae) in the Nepalese Himalayas

2020 ◽  
pp. 15-18
Author(s):  
Babu Ram Paudel ◽  
Brihaspati Poudel
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Important Implication ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Medicinal Uses ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Medicinal Orchid ◽  
Two Populations ◽  
Very High

Satyrium nepalense is a terrestrial medicinal orchid of the Himalayas. Although, the ecology and medicinal uses of this orchid is well known, little is known about its reproductive mechanism. In this study, we explored the natural history and reproductive biology of S. nepalense and tested their potential spatial variation. We observed the floral visitors and natural fruit set of S. nepalense at its two populations. We found that, despite the presence of outcrossing features, this orchid did not receive any diurnal floral visitors. The natural fruit set was very high (>90.0%) at both the sites, suggesting the possibility of autonomous selfing. This finding may have important implication for the further study to explore how autonomous selfing evolves in a member of the predominately outcrossing genus. Moreover, the finding of this study provides important insight to develop efficient protocol for its conservation.

scholarly journals Reproductive biology traits affecting productivity of sour cherry

2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milica Fotiric Aksic ◽  
Vera Rakonjac ◽  
Dragan Nikolic ◽  
Gordan Zec
Keyword(s):  
Flowering Time ◽  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Pollen Germination ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Sour Cherry ◽  
High Genetic Diversity ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Yield Efficiency

The objective of this work was to evaluate variability in reproductive biology traits and the correlation between them in genotypes of 'Oblačinska' sour cherry (Prunus cerasus). High genetic diversity was found in the 41 evaluated genotypes, and significant differences were observed among them for all studied traits: flowering time, pollen germination, number of fruiting branches, production of flower and fruit, number of flowers per bud, fruit set, and limb yield efficiency. The number of fruiting branches significantly influenced the number of flower and fruit, fruit set, and yield efficiency. In addition to number of fruiting branches, yield efficiency was positively correlated with fruit set and production of flower and fruit. Results from principal component analysis suggested a reduction of the reproductive biology factors affecting yield to four main characters: number and structure of fruiting branches, flowering time, and pollen germination. Knowledge of the reproductive biology of the 'Oblačinska' genotypes can be used to select the appropriate ones to be grown or used as parents in breeding programs. In this sense, genotypes II/2, III/9, III/13, and III/14 have very good flower production and satisfactory pollen germination.

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