Pollination biology of Agave horrida (Agavaceae) in the Chichinautzin mountain range, in Central Mexico”

Background: the predictability of nectarivorous bats and their greater fecundity efficiency promote specialized pollination systems in columnar cactus in central Mexico. Some authors have suggested the same pollination pattern for Agave genus, and even when recent meta-analysis does not find such pattern, they have suggested this could be due to the lack of descriptive studies of pollination for this genus.Hypothesis: according to the chiropterophily syndrome of its flowers, the most efficient pollinator of Agave horrida will be nectarivorous bats leading to a pollination system with a specialist tendency in this agave species.Studied species: Agave horrida and floral visitors.Study site and years of study: lava field of the Chichinautzin mountain range, in Morelos State in Central Mexico in 2005.Methods: we studied the floral biology of A. horrida, its floral offer (density of flowers in a given area), visitor rate, and visitor abundance, and conducted exclusion experiments for diurnal and nocturnal visitors.Results: A. horrida has protandric flowers with chiropterophilous characteristics (larger nectar production at night and nocturnal anther dehiscence and stigma receptivity). Nectarivorous bats were the most frequent flower visitors and the guild that most frequently presented pollen on their bodies. Pollinator exclusion experiments show that both birds and bats can successfully pollinate A. horrida. Nevertheless, the predictability and abundance of the nectarivorous bat Leptonycteris nivalis, along with the greater fruit and seed production than birds, makes it the most efficient pollinator.Conclusions: our results support the hypothesis of a specialized pollination system towards nectarivorous bats in agaves in central Mexico.

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Breeding biology and distyly in Palicourea rigida H. B. & K. (Rubiaceae) in the Cerrados of Central Brazil

Acta Botanica Brasilica ◽

10.1590/s0102-33062010000300012 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 686-696 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Adriana de Oliveira Machado ◽

Ana Palmira Silva ◽

Helder Consolaro ◽

Mariluza A. Granja e Barros ◽

Paulo Eugênio Oliveira

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Fruit Set ◽

Pollen Grains ◽

Floral Biology ◽

Nectar Production ◽

Central Brazil ◽

Palicourea Rigida ◽

Floral Visitors ◽

Compatible Pollen ◽

Incompatibility Reactions

Distyly is a floral polymorphism more common among the Rubiaceae than in any other angiosperm group. Palicourea rigida is a typically distylous species of the Rubiaceae widely distributed in the Brazilian Cerrados. This work aimed to study the floral biology and breeding system of P. rigida in order to verify if there wasasymmetry between floral morphs. The work was carried out at Fazenda Água Limpa, Brasília-DF, from 1993 to 1995; and at Serra Caldas Novas State Park-Goias and in Clube Caça e Pesca Itororó de Uberlândia-Minas Gerais in 2005 and 2006. Density, height and pin/thrum ratio were assessed for flowering individuals in all areas. Plants were investigated for differences in floral morphology, nectar production, reproductive success and site of self incompatibility reactions. Blooming period was long and concentrated during the rains. Flowers were clearly distylous and with reciprocal herkogamy. They produced nectar and lasted for a single day. In spite of differences in density and height, populations were mostly isoplethic. Nectar production varied in volume and concentration but the differences could not be associated with floral morphs. The species is self-incompatible but reproductive success was always high and independent of floral morphs. There were differences in the site of incompatibility barriers between floral morphs, which were similar to those observed for other Rubiaceae. The main floral visitors and pollinators were the hummingbirds Colibri serrirostris and Eupetomena macroura. High fruit-set indicates that the pollinators transported enough compatible pollen grains between floral morphs, despite their territorial behavior.

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The generalist pollination system and reproductive success of Calluna vulgaris in the Upper Ardenne

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b98-133 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 76 (11) ◽

pp. 1843-1851 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Grégory Mahy ◽

Jacques De Sloover ◽

Anne-Laure Jacquemart

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Calluna Vulgaris ◽

Sampling Location ◽

Wind Pollination ◽

Seed Number ◽

Pollinator Visitation ◽

Pollination System ◽

Exclusion Experiments ◽

Syrphid Flies ◽

Pollination Systems

Although specialist pollination systems are often thought to be the outcome of selection, wide evidence exists for generalization within plant-pollinator interactions. We studied the pollination system and reproductive success of Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull over 3 years in an Upper Ardennes site in Belgium. A wide variety of insect visitors was recorded including Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera. Relative abundance of families and species of visitors varied markedly among years except for bees. Bumblebees and honeybees were the most efficient pollinators at the study site. Syrphid flies, mainly large ones, acted as important co-pollinators because of their high relative frequency. Calluna pollen was also dispersed by wind, and insect-exclusion experiments demonstrated that wind pollination contributed to reproductive success. Following open pollination, fruit set was high, ranging from 82.0 to 97.2% and independent of sampling location. Mean seed number per fruit was less than maximum potential seed number and varied strongly among sampling locations. We discuss this pollination system (generalist insect and wind) in terms of the ecological and geographical success of the species.Key words: Calluna vulgaris, pollinator visitation, insects, wind pollination, reproductive success.

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Bimodal pollination system in rare endemic Oncocyclus irises (Iridaceae) of Lebanon

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b06-081 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 84 (8) ◽

pp. 1327-1338 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Arnaud Monty ◽

Layla Saad ◽

Grégory Mahy

Keyword(s):

Pollen Load ◽

Pollination System ◽

Visitation Rates ◽

Floral Visitors ◽

Potential Adaptation ◽

Night And Day ◽

Pollination Systems ◽

Rare Endemic ◽

Plant Pollinator ◽

Principal Advantage

Pollination systems based on indirect rewards, such as heat and shelter, have seldom been studied. Plant–pollinator interactions were characterized in Iris cedretii Dinsmore ex Chaudhary and Iris sofarana subsp. kasruwana Dinsmore ex Chaudhary, rare endemic Lebanese Oncocyclus irises exhibiting potential adaptation to shelter pollination. Despite a diversity of floral visitors (47 species), only two groups of Anthophoridae male bees ( Xylocopa spp. and Eucera spp.) could be considered as efficient pollinators on the basis of frequency of visits, visiting behaviour, and pollen load. Lebanese Oncocyclus irises showed a bimodal pollination system with (1) diurnal visits at low rates but with potentially large pollen transfers by Xylocopa bees, exhibiting a foraging-like behaviour, principally during warm periods of the day and (2) sheltering, especially Eucera male bees, during night and day when the weather is changeable. Refuge occurrence in flowers was more important during the night (27%) than during the day (12%) and, for daytime, during cloudy or windy than sunny conditions. It also varied depending on the exposure of floral tunnels. Visitation rates of both day-visiting Xylocopa and night-sheltering Eucera were negatively associated with an increase of the number of flowers per clump. No experimental evidence was found showing that the principal advantage for male bees to shelter in Iris flowers was to fly earlier in the morning.

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Polinização de Vellozia candida Mikan (Velloziaceae) nos Afloramentos Rochosos do Costão de Itacoatiara, Niterói, RJ: Um Caso de Melitofilia em Inselbergue do Brasil

EntomoBrasilis ◽

10.12741/ebrasilis.v5i1.164 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 29-32

Author(s):

Fábio Castro Verçoza

Keyword(s):

Floral Biology ◽

Pollination Ecology ◽

Reproductive Phenology ◽

Flowering Period ◽

Rock Outcrops ◽

Floral Visitors ◽

Rocky Outcrops ◽

And Behavior ◽

Effective Pollinator

Este trabalho apresenta dados sobre a fenologia reprodutiva, a biologia floral e a ecologia da polinização de Vellozia candida Mikan (Velloziaceae) nos afloramentos rochosos do Costão de Itacoatiara, Niterói, RJ. Uma população de dez indivíduos da espécie foi estudada nessa localidade no período de junho de 2006 a dezembro de 2008. Foram realizadas observações sobre período de floração, morfologia, cor e odor das flores, ocorrência e comportamento dos visitantes florais. A floração de V. candida ocorreu de setembro a dezembro nos dois anos consecutivos do estudo. As flores são brancas, nectaríferas e exalam odor suave e adocicado. Reúnem características típicas da síndrome da melitofilia e foram intensamente visitadas por três espécies de abelhas. Xylocopa ordinaria Smith se destacou como o polinizador efetivo da espécie estudada. Por ser uma abelha de grande porte e robusta, durante a coleta de néctar e de pólen, deposita este último no estigma, polinizando as flores. Pollination of Vellozia candida Mikan (Velloziaceae) on Rock Outcrops of Costão de Itacoatiara, Niterói, RJ: A Case of Mellitophily Inselberg BrazilAbstract. This paper presents data on the reproductive phenology, floral biology and pollination ecology of Vellozia candida Mikan (Velloziaceae) on rocky outcrops of Costão Itacoatiara, Niterói, RJ. A population of ten individuals of the species was studied in this location from June 2006 to December 2008. Observations were made on flowering period, morphology, color and odor of flowers, the occurrence and behavior of floral visitors. The flowering of V. candida occurred from September to December in two successive years of study. The flowers are white, exude nectar and sweet odor. Meet typical syndrome melitophyly and were intensively visited by three species of bees. Xylocopa ordinaria Smith stood out as the effective pollinator of the species studied. Being a bee large and robust, while collecting nectar and pollen, the latter deposited on the stigma, pollinating the flowers.

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Nocturnal and diurnal pollination in Copaifera coriacea, a dominant species in sand dunes of the Middle São Francisco River Basin, Northeastern Brazil

Plant Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.5091/plecevo.2021.1715 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 154 (2) ◽

pp. 207-216

Author(s):

Isys Mascarenhas Souza ◽

Frederic Mendes Hughes ◽

Ligia Silveira Funch ◽

Luciano Paganucci de Queiroz

Keyword(s):

Uv Light ◽

Pollen Viability ◽

Sand Dunes ◽

Abundant Species ◽

Pollen Tubes ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Stigma Receptivity ◽

Flower Opening ◽

Pollination System ◽

Floral Visitors

Background and aims – Copaifera coriacea, a species in the resin-producing clade Detarioideae (Leguminosae), is an endemic and abundant species found in sand dunes in Brazilian Caatinga domain vegetation – a Quaternary paleodesert. We investigated floral traits and aspects of pollination biology, focusing on the pollination system of C. coriacea. Material and methods – Anthesis duration, stigma receptivity, pollen viability, nectar concentration, and the presence of osmophores and pigments reflecting UV light were assessed. Floral visitors were classified as potential pollinators, occasional pollinators or thieves, based on the time and foraging behaviour and resource collected. Pollination effectiveness were assessed for potential pollinators by the detection of pollen tubes on the stigma or stylar canal by epifluorescence microscopy.Key results – The species has white and small flowers, with anthesis beginning in the dark (ca 00:30) and the flowers are completely opened approximately 3 h later, when a sweet odour is perceptible. The onset of stigma receptivity and pollen grain viability occurs only after the completion of flower opening, and a concentrated nectar is available during the day. The presence of pollen tubes confirmed the efficiency of the main insects in the transfer of pollen. Conclusion – Our result demonstrates that C. coriacea has a generalist pollination system mediated mainly by two distinct guilds of insect pollinators: moths (nocturnal, searching for nectar) and bees (diurnal, pollen collectors). This finding can provide more information about diversification in the genus Copaifera.

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A meta‐analysis of single visit pollination effectiveness comparing honeybees and other floral visitors

American Journal of Botany ◽

10.1002/ajb2.1764 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

M.L. Page ◽

C.C. Nicholson ◽

R.M. Brennan ◽

A.T. Britzman ◽

J. Greer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meta Analysis ◽

Single Visit ◽

Pollination Effectiveness ◽

Floral Visitors

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Adaptive response of extreme epiphyte Tillandsia species (Bromeliaceae) is demonstrated by different sexual reproduction strategies in the Brazilian Chaco

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society ◽

10.1093/botlinnean/boz104 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 192 (4) ◽

pp. 840-854

Author(s):

Aline C Gomes ◽

Bruno H S Ferreira ◽

Camila S Souza ◽

Luan M M Arakaki ◽

Camila Aoki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breeding System ◽

Reproductive Strategies ◽

Extreme Environments ◽

Extreme Environment ◽

Floral Biology ◽

Reproduction Strategies ◽

Pollen Vectors ◽

Self Compatibility ◽

Floral Visitors ◽

Selection For

Abstract Some epiphytes are adapted to extreme environments with the ability to survive drought as a result of their morphological (xeromorphism), anatomical (foliar trichomes or scales) and physiological features. In contrast to vegetative features, they may have diverse sexual reproductive strategies. Here we compared the flowering morphology, floral biology, breeding system and pollinators of Tillandsia duratii, T. loliacea and T. recurvifolia (Bromeliaceae) adapted to an extreme environment, the Brazilian Chaco. Tillandsia duratii and T. recurvifolia flower for 5–6 months, whereas T. loliaceae flowers for 11 months, mainly in the dry season, with low to high flowering overlap between them. Although these species generally show similar flowering morphology, they differ in size, colour, odour and/or floral functionality, suggesting non-sharing of pollinators among them. Bimodal pollination occurs in T. duratii (bees, moths other than hawkmoths) and T. recurvifolia (butterflies, hummingbirds); in T. loliacea, we recorded no floral visitors. Tillandsia recurvifolia is self-incompatible, has flowers which approach herkogamy and protandry, and depends on pollen vectors for fruit set. The other two species show reverse herkogamy, autonomous self-pollination and self-compatibility (mixed breeding system); therefore, pollinators are not required. The disparity in reproductive strategies among the three species suggests the possibility of selection for diverse modes of reproduction.

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Pollination by nectar-foraging thynnine wasps in the endangered Caladenia arenaria and Caladenia concolor (Orchidaceae)

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt19033 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 67 (7) ◽

pp. 490 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Noushka Reiter ◽

Björn Bohman ◽

Marc Freestone ◽

Graham R. Brown ◽

Ryan D. Phillips

Keyword(s):

Threatened Species ◽

Single Species ◽

Orchid Species ◽

Late Afternoon ◽

Nectar Foraging ◽

Pollinator Species ◽

Floral Visitors ◽

Pollination Strategy ◽

Pollination Systems

Prior to undertaking conservation translocations of plants with specialised pollination systems, it is important to ensure the presence of pollinators at recipient sites. Here, for two threatened species, Caladenia concolor Fitzg. and Caladenia arenaria Fitzg. (Orchidaceae), we determine (i) the pollination strategy used, (ii) which floral visitors are involved in pollination, and (iii) whether the pollinator species are present at potential translocation sites. For both orchid species, pollination was primarily achieved by nectar-foraging thynnine wasps, with a single species responsible for pollination in C. concolor, whereas C. arenaria utilised at least two species to achieve pollination. Both orchid species secreted meagre quantities of sucrose on the upper surface of the labellum. Visits to C. concolor occurred primarily in the late afternoon, with some wasps perching on the flowers overnight. Surveys revealed that pollinators were present at all extant populations and most potential translocation sites for both orchids. The specialisation on one pollinator species in C. concolor means that the distribution of the pollinator needs to be considered for conservation translocations. With C. arenaria, the risk of hybridisation with other Caladenia that are known to share one of its pollinator species needs to be taken into account when selecting translocation sites.

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