scholarly journals Mating system and female reproductive success of the endemic, epiphytic Prosthechea aff. karwinskii (Orchidaceae)

Lankesteriana ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ericka Camacho-Domínguez ◽  
Irene Ávila-Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Mating System ◽  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Open Pollination ◽  
Female Reproductive Success ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Northern Portion

Prosthechea aff. karwinskii (Mart.) Soto Arenas & Salazar (unpublished name) is an endemic Mexican epiphytic orchid with a restricted distribution. It occurs in deciduous oak forests, particularly on Quercus deserticola in the northern portion of Michoacán state. Due to their ornamental uses, this and other orchid species have been heavily collected from their natural populations. Learning about the reproductive biology of this species is important, as we may gain knowledge about the probable repercussions of overcollecting on their genetics and ecology. This will be a useful tool for the management and conservation of the species. The objectives were to 1) study the mating system of P. aff. karwinskii, 2) determine if the species requires an external pollinating agent for sexual reproduction, and 3) evaluate female reproductive success of this species. Exclusions (150) were made before anthesis. Once the flowers opened, we applied four pollination treatments: manual selfing, outcrossing, spontaneous autogamy, and open pollination. We subsequently quantified the production of fruits and viability of the seeds. Preliminary results showed that outcrossing and selfing treatments exhibited statistically higher fruit set than spontaneous autogamy and open pollination treatments, meaning that P. aff. karwinskii has the capability to reproduce via self-pollination. Prosthechea aff. karwinskii is pollinator-dependent for sexual reproduction, taking into account that the spontaneous autogamy treatment showed nil fruit production. Female reproductive success in open pollinated flowers was lower compared to fruit set of hand pollination treatments. This indicates that this species, as other species of tropical orchids, is pollination-limited. 

scholarly journals Mating system and female reproductive success of the endemic and endangered epiphyte Rhynchostele cervantesii (Orchidaceae) in a cloud forest in Michoacan, Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 154 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-62
Author(s):  
Rosa E. Magaña Lemus ◽  
Irene Ávila-Díaz ◽  
Yvonne Herrerías Diego
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Mating System ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Open Pollination ◽  
Female Reproductive Success ◽  
Epiphytic Orchid ◽  
Cross Pollination ◽  
Self Pollination ◽  
Natural Pollination

Background and aims – The Orchidaceae family is vulnerable, because of the destruction of their habitat, as well as the extraction of individuals from natural populations. This is the case of the genus Rhynchostele Rchb.f.; among the actions considered important for appropriate conservation strategies for this genus is the generation of fundamental knowledge, such as on its reproductive biology. The objective of this work is to understand the mating system and reproductive success of Rhynchostele cervantesii, an endangered epiphytic orchid endemic to Mexico.Material and methods – Manual and open-pollination treatments were conducted during 2014 and 2015 in a cloud forest in Michoacan, Mexico. In each period, 30 to 40 randomly selected inflorescences were subjected to the following treatments: a) spontaneous-self-pollination, b) emasculation, c) self-pollination, d) cross-pollination, and e) open-pollination. The developed fruits were counted and harvested, the viability of the seeds was determined, through the observation and evaluation of embryos using microscopy.Key results – Significant differences were recorded between the treatments in both 2014 and 2015, with higher fruit production in cross-pollination than in self-pollination and natural-pollination. There were significant differences in seed viability, with higher values for seeds from open-pollination and cross-pollination and lower values for seeds from self-pollination.Conclusions – Rhynchostele cervantesii is a species that requires pollinators for sexual reproduction because there is no fruit production with spontaneous-self-pollination. Under pollen limitation, the fruit set of natural pollination was a lot lower than in cross-pollination although fruits were the same quality. R. cervantesii had a mixed mating system with a tendency to exogamy, presenting high values of female reproductive success compared to other tropical epiphytic orchid species reported in the literature.

scholarly journals Male and female reproductive success in natural and anthropogenic populations of Malaxis monophyllos (L.) Sw. (Orchidaceae)

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edyta Jermakowicz ◽  
Beata Ostrowiecka ◽  
Izabela Tałałaj ◽  
Artur Pliszko ◽  
Agata Kostro-Ambroziak
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Floral Display ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Female Reproductive Success ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Demographic Processes ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Effective Pollinators

Abstract In the presented study, male and female reproductive success was analyzed in relation to the population size, floral display and pollinators’ availability in natural and anthropogenic populations of the orchid Malaxis monophyllos (L.) Sw. Our results indicated significant differences between all investigated populations in parameters of floral display, including heights and number of flowers per inflorescence, as well the number of flowering individuals and their spatial structure. Additionally, populations differed both in male (pollinia removal) and female (fruit set) reproductive success, but only the fruit set clearly differentiated anthropogenic and natural populations. Despite the average flower number per plant being significantly higher in two of the anthropogenic populations, it was not related to the fruits set, which was significantly lower there. Moreover, our preliminary study concerning the potential pollinators of M. monophyllos showed a higher contribution of flies in natural habitats than in anthropogenic ones. Thus, we can suspect that the main factors influencing the level of female reproductive success in M. monophyllos populations are abundance of effective pollinators, as well as flower visitors, which may have resulted in a different level of pollen discounting in populations. Therefore, further studies concerning breeding system and pollination as important forces that shape demographic processes in M. monophyllos populations are necessary. Our results also indicate that suitable conservation methods in M. monophyllos should always include the preservation of potential pollinators, especially in these new, secondary habitats.

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.

Flowering pattern and fruit production in the dioecious shrub Oemleria cerasiformis (Rosaceae)

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 1216-1220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldine A. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Flowering Period ◽  
Flowering Pattern ◽  
Flower Opening ◽  
Inflorescence Size ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Flower Display ◽  
Female Flowers

Male plants of Oemleria cerasiformis have a larger flower display and a longer flowering period than females, and tend to show greater phenological variability. Male inflorescences generally begin to flower sooner than females, but reach their peak and finish flowering later. Their longer blooming period is mainly the result of less synchronous flower opening in males. In both sexes flowering tends to be completed more rapidly in later inflorescences. Fruit set in females is positively correlated with time of flowering (r = 0.313) and inflorescence size (r = 0.421). Hand-pollination of female flowers increased fruit set in most inflorescences, indicating that reproductive success in female O. cerasiformis may be pollen limited.

Reproductive success of Acacia longifolia (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae) in native and invasive populations

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Correia ◽  
Sílvia Castro ◽  
Susana Rodríguez-Echeverría
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Seed Size ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Lower Number ◽  
Open Pollination ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Reproductive Assurance ◽  
Acacia Species ◽  
Self Compatibility ◽  
Selfing Ability

The reproductive biology of exotic species affects their capacity to become naturalised and invasive in non-native areas. Selfing is a common trait in many invasive plants probably because it provides reproductive assurance under low availability of pollination vectors and sexual partners. Nonetheless, the predominantly self-incompatible Australian Acacia species are among the most aggressive plants worldwide. To address whether there have been changes in selfing ability and natural reproductive success of A. longifolia during invasion, we compared one population in the invaded area (Portugal) with one population in the native range (Australia). We specifically assessed floral traits, fruit set and offspring traits for selfing and open-pollination treatments. Within each pollination treatment, no differences were found between areas, suggesting that the level of self-compatibility has not changed during invasion. However, the number of aborted seeds and seed size were significantly different between pollination treatments in Australia but not in Portugal. There were significant differences in the number of seeds per pod and in seed weight between ranges. A lower number of aborted seeds, a higher number of fully developed seeds and a greater seed size were found in the invaded area for both pollination treatments. In spite of the low selfing ability of A. longifolia in the invaded area, there was an increase in the quantity and size of the seeds produced in the new region, even for self-pollinated fruits, which might contribute to A. longifolia invasiveness.

Rapport des sexes, effort et succès de reproduction chez Rubus chamaemorus, plante herbacée vivace dioïque de distribution subarctique

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (12) ◽  
pp. 2628-2639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Dumas ◽  
Lucie Maillette
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Sex Ratios ◽  
Female Flower ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Dioecious Species ◽  
Pollinator Behaviour ◽  
Rubus Chamaemorus

Studies published on the reproductive success of dioecious species concentrate on the role of sex ratios and pollinator behaviour. In the case of Rubus chamaemorus L., a circumboreal dioecious species, we hypothesized that flower survival and biomass allocation to reproductive tissues, which are climate dependent, also influence fruit production. Only 0.05% of total biomass is allocated to reproduction, whereas 94% goes to underground organs responsible for vegetative propagation. Many male (28 – 51%) and female flower buds (35 – 54%) and young fruits (24–51%) die prematurely mainly because of the climate; fruit production then becomes independent from initial female flower density. The scarcity of female flowers at most sites (except near open water) limits fruit production. The limited sexual reproduction would allow cloudberry to maintain somatic resources, thereby increasing the longevity of individuals and their chance of encountering the climatic conditions required for reproductive success. Such a strategy is adaptive in a variable climate like that of the subarctic. Furthermore, the reduced importance of sexual reproduction would diminish the need to optimize sex ratios. Other selective pressures (e.g., competition) would then favour male clones in most sites, in spite of the unproductive pollen excess.

Tropical fruit production depends on wild insect communities: bees and lychees in Thailand

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Khwankhao Sinhaseni ◽  
Carla P. Catterall
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Insect Communities ◽  
Tropical Fruit ◽  
Flower Visitors ◽  
Pollination Success ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Mesh Bags

Abstract The importance of wild insects as pollinators of tropical tree crops has rarely been tested. Across 18 small-scale lychee orchards in northern Thailand, we evaluated the roles of different wild insects as pollinators and predators of pests in fruit production. Quantitative assessments showed that bees (Family Apidae) were strongly dominant (83%) among insect flower visitors, comprising four species in tribes Apini and four in Meliponini. Experimental manipulations of inflorescences showed that fruit production in these orchards was: (1) dependent on flower visits by wild insects because enclosure of inflorescences in mesh bags decreased fruit set (to one-fifth) and (2) not greatly limited by pollinator deficiencies, because hand pollination of unbagged flowers did not enhance fruit set. Pollination success, as indicated by the proportion of unmanipulated flowers setting fruit, correlated positively across orchards with the abundance of large-bodied Apidae (>7 mm; most were Apis species) and of Apini, and negatively with abundance of small-bodied Apidae and of all Meliponini, despite the latter being the commonest flower visitors. We conclude that larger-bodied bees are most likely to travel sufficiently far to import genetically diverse pollen, in this landscape-scale mosaic where non-orchard habitats (both agriculture and treed patches) were sufficient to sustain wild pollinators.

scholarly journals Addition of Forchlorfenuron to Spray Pollination Media Increases Fruit Set in ‘Hosui’ Japanese Pear

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-190
Author(s):  
Daisuke Sakamoto ◽  
Shinnosuke Kusaba ◽  
Yuri Nakamura
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Fruit Shape ◽  
Japanese Pear ◽  
Pyrus Pyrifolia ◽  
High Germination ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Acceptable Method

The effects on fruit set of adding forchlorfenuron (CPPU) to media in which pollen grains were suspended and used for spray pollination was investigated in ‘Hosui’ japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia). The percentages of fruit set after spray pollination were lower than those after hand pollination; however, media with 2 or 10 mg·L−1 CPPU used for spray pollination resulted in greater percentages of fruit set than media without CPPU. The media with CPPU also resulted in higher levels of pollen germination compared with the medium without CPPU; however, the number of seeds per fruit with CPPU treatment tended to be almost the same or less than for fruit without CPPU treatment. From these results, the higher levels of fruit set by CPPU might not be due to the high germination rate of the pollen grains but due to the induction of partial parthenocarpic properties. The medium with 10 mg·L−1 CPPU gave the highest levels of fruit set, but the fruit had abnormally thickened and enlarged calyxes, and the fruit shape tended to be deformed at ≈21 days after flowering. In addition, all of the harvested fruit were calyx-perpetual fruit in which the calyx remains until harvest time. Fruit treated with 2 mg·L−1 CPPU also yielded calyx-perpetual fruit with high frequency, but the fruit had normal calyxes and the fruit shape tended to be more normal. Thus, we conducted experiments focusing on the medium containing 2 mg·L−1 CPPU. Although the results were variable from year to year, more than 70% of hand-pollinated flowers set fruit during the 3-year study; this level of fruit production is sufficient for practical use. Thus, spray pollination using a medium with 2 mg·L−1 CPPU is an acceptable method for pollinating ‘Hosui’ japanese pear.

scholarly journals Selective Flower Removal Increases Cranberry Fruit Set

HortScience ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1226-1228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian A. Birrenkott ◽  
Elden J. Stang
Keyword(s):  
Plant Development ◽  
Fruit Development ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Vaccinium Macrocarpon ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Fruit Removal ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Production Area ◽  
Flower Thinning

Selective flower removal was used in 1987 and 1988 to evaluate intraplant competition or inhibition within flowering uprights of `Searles' cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.). The lowest two flowers were removed from uprights at various stages of plant development in 1987. With one or both of the two earliest, i.e., lowest, flowers developing `into fruit, 25% of the remaining flowers matured into fruit. Removal of the earliest two flowers at preblossom or late blossom resulted in ≈ 46% fruit set for the remaining flowers. Slightly fewer upper flowers set (36%) when the earliest flowers and fruit were removed at early fruit development. In 1988, the lowest two flowers were removed at preblossom and natural insect pollination was supplemented by hand pollination. Hand-pollinated (upper) flowers set 58% when the lowest two flowers were removed, compared to 17% for the unthinned control. Yield and fruit numbers were lowered slightly as a result of flower thinning in both years. A significant amount of variation in fruit production was explained by the number of flowering uprights per unit of production area in both years.

scholarly journals Flowering Behavior and Pollination Requirements in Climbing Cacti with Fruit Crop Potential

HortScience ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 1487-1492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Weiss ◽  
Avinoam Nerd ◽  
Yosef Mizrahi
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Open Pollination ◽  
Fruit Crops ◽  
Cross Pollination ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Pollen Germinability ◽  
Hylocereus Undatus ◽  
Pollen Vector

The reproductive biology of the climbing cacti Hylocereus polyrhizus (Weber) Britt. & Rose, H. undatus (Haworth) Britt. & Rose, H. costaricensis (Weber) Britt. & Rose, and Selenicereus megalanthus (Schum. ex Vaupel) Moran (syn. Mediocactus megalanthus) was studied with the aim of cultivating the cacti in Israel as fruit crops. Flowering in Hylocereus spp. occurred in two to three waves during the summer, whereas in S. megalanthus, flowering was concentrated at the end of autumn. Flowers of all species opened 1 to 1.5 hours before sunset and closed ≈6 hours after sunrise. In the Hylocereus spp., H. polyrhizus and H. costaricensis were self-unfruitful, and cross-pollination with other species led to high fruit set (100%). Hylocereus undatus was self-fruitful, setting fruit with self-pollen. Cross-pollination between the clones of S. megalanthus led to a high fruit set and each clone was self-fruitful. In contrast to H. undatus, S. megalanthus clones could set fruit without pollen vector involvement, although the set was slightly lower than with hand pollination. Pollen source influenced fruit weight. In the self-fruitful species of Hylocereus, fruit obtained by hand cross-pollination with other Hylocereus spp. were significantly heavier than fruit obtained by hand self-pollination. The largest fruit in each of the Hylocereus spp. were obtained by specific cross-combinations within the group. Fruit of S. megalanthus had a lower weight than fruit of the Hylocereus spp. Flowers of all species were visited by day-active honeybees only. Fruit set and fruit weight with open pollination was lower than with hand pollination in Hylocereus spp. Since stigma receptivity and pollen germinability stayed high during anthesis, the low pollination effectivity has to be related to other factors, such as the short bee visits and the absence of specific adaptation by the bees to the flower. In S. megalanthus, fruit set and fruit weight with open pollination were similar to values obtained with hand pollination. This similarity is probably related to the fact that pollen transfer in open pollination is achieved by bee visits and direct transfer of pollen to the stigma, which occurs via physical contact between anthers and stigma during flower closing.

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