scholarly journals Reproductive biology and nectar secretion dynamics of Penstemon gentianoides (Plantaginaceae): a perennial herb with a mixed pollination system?

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucía Salas-Arcos ◽  
Carlos Lara ◽  
Juan Francisco Ornelas
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Production ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Perennial Herb ◽  
Pollination Syndrome ◽  
Pollination Syndromes ◽  
Pollinator Effectiveness ◽  
Nectar Production ◽  
Hummingbird Pollination ◽  
Pollination Systems ◽  
Number Of Seeds

Background In many plant species, pollination syndromes predict the most effective pollinator. However, other floral visitors may also offer effective pollination services and promote mixed pollination systems. Several species of the species-rich Penstemon (Plantaginaceae) exhibit a suite of floral traits that suggest adaptation for pollination by both hymenopterans and hummingbirds. Transitions from the ancestral hymenopteran pollination syndrome to more derived hummingbird pollination syndrome may be promoted if the quantity or quality of visits by hummingbirds is increased and if the ancestral pollinator group performs less efficiently. The quantification of such shifts in pollination systems in the group is still limited. We aimed to investigate floral traits linked to this pollination syndrome in Penstemon gentianoides with flowers visited by bumblebees and hummingbirds. Methods We investigated the floral biology, pollinator assemblages, breeding system and nectar production patterns ofP. gentianoides inhabiting a temperate montane forest in central Mexico. Pollination experiments were also conducted to assess the pollinator effectiveness of bumblebees and hummingbirds. Results P. gentianoides flowers are protandrous, with 8-d male phase (staminate) flowers, followed by the ∼1–7 d female phase (pistillate phase). Flowers display traits associated with hymenopteran pollination, including purple flowers abruptly ampliate-ventricose to a broad throat with anthers and stigmas included, and long lifespans. However, the nectar available in the morning hours was abundant and dilute, traits linked to flowers with a hummingbird pollination syndrome. Two hummingbird species made most of the visits to flowers, Selasphorus platycercus (30.3% of all visits), followed by Archilochus colubris (11.3%). Bumblebees (Bombus ephippiatus, B. huntii and B. weisi) accounted for 51.8% of all recorded visits, but their foraging activity was restricted to the warmer hours. Hummingbirds made more foraging bouts and visited more flowers than hymenopteran species. Flowers experimentally pollinated by B. ephippiatus produced significantly more fruits than those pollinated by S. platycercus. However, there was no statistical difference in the number of seeds produced per fruit when a bumblebee or a hummingbird was the pollinator. Conclusions We have shown that bumblebees and hummingbirds visit and pollinate P. gentianoides flowers. Despite floral traits resembling the hymenoptera pollination syndrome, flowers of P. gentianoides offer characteristic nectar rewards to flowers with a hummingbird pollination syndrome. Although pollination efficiency is higher among flowers visited by hymenoptera, the noteworthy percentage of fruit production and number of seeds per fruit derived from hummingbird pollination highlights the importance of hummingbirds as a functional group of pollinators that might have potential evolutionary consequences to the plants.

Are diel patterns of nectar production and anthesis associated with other floral traits in plants visited by potential bird and mammal pollinators?

2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. M. Saffer
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Pollination Syndromes ◽  
Nectar Production ◽  
Diel Patterns ◽  
Pollen Presentation ◽  
Pollination Systems

Plants pollinated predominantly by vertebrates are thought to have suites of floral traits (e.g.�colour, conspicuousness, odour) that favour either birds or mammals, with brightly coloured, conspicuous flowers associated with birds and drab, concealed flowers with non-flying mammals. This study examined two other floral traits, diel patterns of nectar production and pollen presentation (anthesis). It would be expected that these would be nocturnal in putatively mammal-pollinated plants and diurnal in bird-pollinated plants. In four Banksia and two Dryandra species, all known to be visited by honeyeater birds and small marsupials at one site in south-western Australia, there was no clear correspondence between visual cues and diel patterns of resource presentation. This lack of correlation between floral traits does not support the idea of specialised pollination syndromes, but rather is consistent with generalised pollination systems.

scholarly journals Testing Pollination Syndromes in Oenothera (Onagraceae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyra N. Krakos ◽  
Matthew W. Austin
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Pollination Syndrome ◽  
Pollination Syndromes ◽  
Floral Trait ◽  
Moth Pollination ◽  
Mixed Support ◽  
Pollination Systems ◽  
Floral Form ◽  
The Relationship

Pollinators are considered a major selective force in shaping the diversification of angiosperms. It has been hypothesized that convergent evolution of floral form has resulted in “pollination syndromes” - i.e. suites of floral traits that correspond to attraction of particular pollinator functional groups. Across the literature, the pollination syndrome concept has received mixed support. This may be due to studies using different methods to describe floral traits and/or the pollination syndrome concept being supported more often in species highly reliant on pollinators for reproduction. Here, we assess the predictive ability of pollination syndromes in Oenothera, a species rich clade with pollination systems existing on a gradient of specialization, and in which species are either self-compatible or self-incompatible. We ask the following questions: Do Oenothera species follow the pollination syndrome concept using traditional, categorical floral trait descriptions and/or quantitative floral trait measurements? And, are floral traits more predictive of primary pollinators in species with specialized pollination systems and/or species that are self-incompatible? Mapping floral traits of 54 Oenothera species into morphospace, we do not find support for the pollination syndrome concept using either categorical or quantitative floral trait descriptions. We do not find support for specialization or breeding system influencing the prediction of primary pollinators. However, we find pollination syndromes were more predictive in Oenothera species with moth pollination systems. Collectively, these results suggest that the pollination syndrome concept cannot be generally applied across taxa and that evolutionary history is important to consider when evaluating the relationship between floral form and contemporary pollinators. 

scholarly journals Identification of major quantitative trait loci underlying floral pollination syndrome divergence in Penstemon

2014 ◽  
Vol 369 (1648) ◽  
pp. 20130349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn A. Wessinger ◽  
Lena C. Hileman ◽  
Mark D. Rausher
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Trait Loci ◽  
Quantitative Trait ◽  
Flower Colour ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Pollination Syndrome ◽  
Pollination Syndromes ◽  
Floral Trait ◽  
Nectar Volume ◽  
Hummingbird Pollination ◽  
Trait Loci

Distinct floral pollination syndromes have emerged multiple times during the diversification of flowering plants. For example, in western North America, a hummingbird pollination syndrome has evolved more than 100 times, generally from within insect-pollinated lineages. The hummingbird syndrome is characterized by a suite of floral traits that attracts and facilitates pollen movement by hummingbirds, while at the same time discourages bee visitation. These floral traits generally include large nectar volume, red flower colour, elongated and narrow corolla tubes and reproductive organs that are exerted from the corolla. A handful of studies have examined the genetic architecture of hummingbird pollination syndrome evolution. These studies find that mutations of relatively large effect often explain increased nectar volume and transition to red flower colour. In addition, they suggest that adaptive suites of floral traits may often exhibit a high degree of genetic linkage, which could facilitate their fixation during pollination syndrome evolution. Here, we explore these emerging generalities by investigating the genetic basis of floral pollination syndrome divergence between two related Penstemon species with different pollination syndromes—bee-pollinated P. neomexicanus and closely related hummingbird-pollinated P. barbatus . In an F 2 mapping population derived from a cross between these two species, we characterized the effect size of genetic loci underlying floral trait divergence associated with the transition to bird pollination, as well as correlation structure of floral trait variation. We find the effect sizes of quantitative trait loci for adaptive floral traits are in line with patterns observed in previous studies, and find strong evidence that suites of floral traits are genetically linked. This linkage may be due to genetic proximity or pleiotropic effects of single causative loci. Interestingly, our data suggest that the evolution of floral traits critical for hummingbird pollination was not constrained by negative pleiotropy at loci that show co-localization for multiple traits.

scholarly journals Evolution of pollination syndromes and corolla symmetry in Balsaminaceae reconstructed using phylogenetic comparative analyses

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saroj Ruchisansakun ◽  
Arne Mertens ◽  
Steven B Janssens ◽  
Erik F Smets ◽  
Timotheüs van der Niet
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Plastid Dna ◽  
Pollination Syndrome ◽  
Pollination Syndromes ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Floral Symmetry ◽  
Considerable Uncertainty ◽  
Pollination Systems

Abstract Background and Aims Floral diversity as a result of plant–pollinator interactions can evolve by two distinct processes: shifts between pollination systems or divergent use of the same pollinator. Although both are pollinator driven, the mode, relative importance and interdependence of these different processes are rarely studied simultaneously. Here we apply a phylogenetic approach using the Balsaminaceae (including the species-rich genus Impatiens) to simultaneously quantify shifts in pollination syndromes (as inferred from the shape and colour of the perianth), as well as divergent use of the same pollinator (inferred from corolla symmetry). Methods For 282 species we coded pollination syndromes based on associations between floral traits and known pollination systems, and assessed corolla symmetry. The evolution of these traits was reconstructed using parsimony- and model-based approaches, using phylogenetic trees derived from phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ribosomal and plastid DNA sequence data. Key Results A total of 71 % of studied species have a bee pollination syndrome, 22 % a bimodal syndrome (Lepidoptera and bees), 3 % a bird pollination syndrome and 5 % a syndrome of autogamy, while 19 % of species have an asymmetrical corolla. Although floral symmetry and pollination syndromes are both evolutionarily labile, the latter shifts more frequently. Shifts in floral symmetry occurred mainly in the direction towards asymmetry, but there was considerable uncertainty in the pattern of shift direction for pollination syndrome. Shifts towards asymmetrical flowers were associated with a bee pollination syndrome. Conclusion Floral evolution in Impatiens has occurred through both pollination syndrome shifts and divergent use of the same pollinator. Although the former appears more frequent, the latter is likely to be underestimated. Shifts in floral symmetry and pollination syndromes depend on each other but also partly on the region in which these shifts take place, suggesting that the occurrence of pollinator-driven evolution may be determined by the availability of pollinator species at large geographical scales.

scholarly journals Co-expression clustering across flower development identifies modules for diverse floral forms in Achimenes (Gesneriaceae)

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wade R. Roberts ◽  
Eric H. Roalson
Keyword(s):  
Flower Development ◽  
Complex Traits ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Flower Color ◽  
Evolutionary Rates ◽  
Pollination Syndrome ◽  
Pollination Syndromes ◽  
Hummingbird Pollination

Background Genetic pathways involved with flower color and shape are thought to play an important role in the development of flowers associated with different pollination syndromes, such as those associated with bee, butterfly, or hummingbird pollination. Because pollination syndromes are complex traits that are orchestrated by multiple genes and pathways, the gene regulatory networks have not been explored. Gene co-expression networks provide a systems level approach to identify important contributors to floral diversification. Methods RNA-sequencing was used to assay gene expression across two stages of flower development (an early bud and an intermediate stage) in 10 species of Achimenes (Gesneriaceae). Two stage-specific co-expression networks were created from 9,503 orthologs and analyzed to identify module hubs and the network periphery. Module association with bee, butterfly, and hummingbird pollination syndromes was tested using phylogenetic mixed models. The relationship between network connectivity and evolutionary rates (dN/dS) was tested using linear models. Results Networks contained 65 and 62 modules that were largely preserved between developmental stages and contained few stage-specific modules. Over a third of the modules in both networks were associated with flower color, shape, and pollination syndrome. Within these modules, several hub nodes were identified that related to the production of anthocyanin and carotenoid pigments and the development of flower shape. Evolutionary rates were decreased in highly connected genes and elevated in peripheral genes. Discussion This study aids in the understanding of the genetic architecture and network properties underlying the development of floral form and provides valuable candidate modules and genes for future studies.

scholarly journals High selfing capability and low pollinator visitation in the epiphyte Pitcairnia heterophylla (Bromeliaceae) at a Costa Rican cloud forest

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis D. Ríos ◽  
Alfredo Cascante-Marín
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Nectar Production ◽  
Pollinator Visitation ◽  
Visitation Rate ◽  
Pollinator Visitation Rate ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Pollination Systems ◽  
Epiphytic Bromeliads

AbstractMost epiphytic bromeliads exhibit specialized pollination systems likely to promote out-crossing but, at the same time, possess floral traits that promote autonomous selfing. Adaptations that promote selfing in flowering plants with specialized pollination systems have been considered as a mechanism for reproductive assurance. In this paper, we analyzed the breeding system and pollinator visitation rate of the hummingbird-pollinated bromeliad Pitcairnia heterophylla in order to see if they fit such trend. We performed hand pollination experiments, video recording of floral visitors, and recorded floral traits in order to describe the reproductive and pollination system of the studied species in a cloud forest in Costa Rica. Results from the pollination treatments indicated that P. heterophylla is self-compatible (SCIf = 0.77), capable of autonomous pollination (AFIf = 0.78), and non-agamospermous (AGf = 0.01). Floral traits, such as scentless red flowers, with tubular corolla and nectar production, suggested ornithophily which was confirmed by the video recording of Lampornis calolaemus (Trochilidae) visiting flowers. However, the visitation rate was low (0.6 visits day-1 per plant) based on 918 hours of video recording using trail cameras. We suggest that the high selfing capability of the studied population of P. heterophylla might be related to the low pollinator visitation rate. If low pollinator visitation is common among hummingbird-pollinated and epiphytic bromeliads, then selfing could be a widespread mechanism to enhance their reproductive success.

scholarly journals Genetic architecture of floral traits in bee- and hummingbird-pollinated sister species of Aquilegia (columbine)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly B. Edwards ◽  
Gary P. T. Choi ◽  
Nathan J. Derieg ◽  
Ya Min ◽  
Angie C. Diana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qtl Mapping ◽  
Candidate Genes ◽  
Genetic Architecture ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Single Locus ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Pollination Syndromes ◽  
Evolutionary Consequence ◽  
Floral Color ◽  
Hummingbird Pollination

Interactions with animal pollinators have helped shape the stunning diversity of flower morphologies across the angiosperms. A common evolutionary consequence of these interactions is that some flowers have converged on suites of traits, or pollination syndromes, that attract and reward specific pollinator groups. Determining the genetic basis of these floral pollination syndromes can help us understand the processes that contributed to the diversification of the angiosperms. Here, we characterize the genetic architecture of a bee-to-hummingbird pollination shift in Aquilegia (columbine) using QTL mapping of 17 floral traits encompassing color, nectar composition, and organ morphology. In this system, we find that the genetic architectures underlying differences in floral color are quite complex, and we identify several likely candidate genes involved in anthocyanin and carotenoid floral pigmentation. Most morphological and nectar traits also have complex genetic underpinnings; however, one of the key floral morphological phenotypes, nectar spur curvature, is shaped by a single locus of large effect.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal shifts in the role of floral traits in shaping tropical plant-pollinator interactions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yannick Klomberg ◽  
Robert Tropek ◽  
Jan E.J. Mertens ◽  
Ishmeal N. Kobe ◽  
Jiří Hodeček ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Pollination Syndrome ◽  
Floral Trait ◽  
Mount Cameroon ◽  
Tropical Plant ◽  
Random Forest Models ◽  
Pollination Systems ◽  
Plant Pollinator

AbstractThe pollination syndrome hypothesis predicts that plants pollinated by the same pollinator group bear convergent combinations of specific floral traits. Nevertheless, some studies have shown relatively low predictive power for these floral trait combinations. This discrepancy may be caused by changes in the importance of specific floral traits for shaping interactions under different environmental conditions and for different pollinator groups. To test this, we studied pollination systems and floral traits along an elevational gradient on Mount Cameroon during wet and dry seasons. Using Random Forest models, allowing the ranking of traits by significance, we demonstrated that some floral traits are more important than others in shaping interactions and that these traits predict pollinators relatively well. However, the distribution and importance of traits varies under different environmental conditions. Our results imply the need to improve our trait-based understanding of plant-pollinator interactions to better inform the debate surrounding pollination syndrome hypothesis.

scholarly journals Floral evolution and pollinator diversification in Hedychium J.Koenig (Zingiberaceae): one of Mr. Darwin’s tropical fantasies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajith Ashokan ◽  
Piyakaset Suksathan ◽  
Jana Leong-Škorničková ◽  
Mark Newman ◽  
W. John Kress ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diversification Rate ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Tube Length ◽  
Pollination Syndromes ◽  
Bird Pollination ◽  
Evolutionary Diversification ◽  
Moth Pollination ◽  
Floral Color ◽  
Inflorescence Structure ◽  
Pollination Systems

ABSTRACTPREMISEHedychium J.Koenig (ginger lilies: Zingiberaceae) is endemic to the Indo-Malayan Realm (IMR) and is known for its fragrant flowers. Two different pollination syndromes characterize the genus: diurnal or bird pollination and nocturnal or moth pollination systems. To date, no attempt has been undertaken to understand the evolution of floral traits in this genus.METHODSWe estimated ancestral character-states, phylogenetic signals, and character correlations for thirteen discrete and eight continuous floral traits representing 75% species diversity of Hedychium. Diversification rate estimation analyses were also employed to understand trait-dependent diversification in the genus.RESULTSInflorescence structure, cincinnus capacity, and curvature of floral tubes revealed strong phylogenetic dependence, whereas number of open flowers per inflorescence per day, color of the labellum, and exertion of the stigma characterized higher ecological effects. Diversification rate estimations suggested that the labellum width, floral tube length, and labellum color played a major role in the evolutionary diversification of Hedychium.CONCLUSIONSWe identified bract type and cincinnus capacity as synapomorphies for Hedychium, while the island-specific clade III was characterized by slender cylindrical inflorescence, coiling of floral tubes, and longer bract to calyx ratio. The circum-Himalayan clade IV is the most speciose, derived, and with most variable floral traits. Although floral color and size lacked any association with pollinator-specific traits (moth and bird pollination), pale colored flowers were most common in the early diverging clades (clade I, II-el., and II-de.), indicating their ancestral nature, when compared to brightly colored flowers.

scholarly journals Co-expression clustering across flower development identifies modules for diverse floral forms in Achimenes (Gesneriaceae)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wade R Roberts ◽  
Eric H Roalson
Keyword(s):  
Flower Development ◽  
Complex Traits ◽  
Gene Networks ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Flower Color ◽  
Evolutionary Rates ◽  
Pollination Syndrome ◽  
Pollination Syndromes ◽  
Hummingbird Pollination

AbstractBackgroundGenetic pathways involved with flower color and shape are thought to play an important role in the development of flowers associated with different pollination syndromes, such as those associated with bee, butterfly, or hummingbird pollination. Because pollination syndromes are complex traits that are orchestrated by multiple genes and pathways, the gene networks have not been explored. Gene co-expression networks provide a systems level approach to identify important contributors to floral diversification.MethodsRNA-sequencing was used to assay gene expression across two stages of flower development (an early bud and an intermediate stage) in 10 species of Achimenes (Gesneriaceae). Two stage-specific co-expression networks were created from 9503 orthologs and analyzed to identify module hubs and the network periphery. Module association with bee, butterfly, and hummingbird pollination syndromes was tested using phylogenetic mixed models. The relationship between network connectivity and evolutionary rates (dN/dS) was tested using linear models.ResultsNetworks contained 65 and 62 modules that were largely preserved between developmental stages and contained few stage-specific modules. Over a third of the modules in both networks were associated with flower color, shape, and pollination syndrome. Within these modules, several hub nodes were identified that related to the production of anthocyanin and carotenoid pigments and the development of flower shape. Evolutionary rates were decreased in highly connected genes and elevated in peripheral genes.DiscussionThis study aids in the understanding of the genetic architecture and network properties underlying the development of floral form and provides valuable candidate modules and genes for future studies.

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