Gender modification in a monoecious species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sagittaria potamogetifolia</Emphasis> (Alismataceae)

In order to find out if the inflorescences number variation has influences on the gender modification in plant species, we investigated the gender modification in a cultivated population of the monoecious species Sagittaria potamogetifolia. We also designed two nutrient levels to explore the impact of nutrient on gender modification in S. potamogetifolia. We found that the female and male flowers did not change with increasing plant size for each inflorescence at a low nutrient level. At a high nutrient level, the female flower numbers on each inflorescence did not increase with plant size; however, the male flower numbers had some positive correlation with the plant size. At the ramet level, the total male and female flower numbers increased with the plant size at both nutrient levels. The sex ratio (female to male flower ratio) decreased with the inflorescence numbers and the plant size (Midvein length). Although the nutrient variation had impact on the flower number production, it did not change the gender modification pattern. The high plasticity of inflorescence numbers, which caused the gender variation in S. potamogetifolia, and low plasticity of female and male flowers on a single inflorescence, indicates that the limited modification on gender in a single inflorescence may be compensated by inflorescence number variation at the ramet level.     

Spatial genetic structure within two populations of a self-incompatible perennial,Chionographis japonica var.japonica (Liliaceae)

Intrapopulational spatial genetic structure was examined in two populations ofChionographis japonica var.japonica, a self-incompatible perennial, by spatial autocorrelation analysis of enzyme polymorphism. Although most spatial autocorrelation indices (Moran'sI) in the shortes distance class were significantly positive, most in the other distance classes did not significantly deviate from the values expected from random distributions of genotypes in both populations. This contrasts with a spatial genetic pattern previously reported for a population of the predominantly selfing congener,C. japonica var.kurohimensis, indicating that pollen-mediated gene flow highly impedes genetic substructuring within populations of outcrossingC. japonica var.japonica. Genetic similarity in very proximate distance found in outcrossingC. japonica var.japonica is probably due to restricted dispersal of seeds.     

Allozyme variation in Japanese species ofChionographis (Liliaceae)

Allozyme variation was examined in three diploid taxaChionographis japonica var.japonica, var.kurokamiana, andC. koidzumiana and three tetraploid taxaC. japonica var.kurohimensis, ssp.hisauchiana, and ssp.minoensis. Results show thatC. japonica var.kurokamiana is genetically closer toC. koidzumiana than to var.japonica. In the tetraploid taxa, fixed heterozygosities were found at several loci, and this supports the hypothesis that these taxa are allotetraploids. Furthermore, the tetraploid taxa have many unique alleles not found in the diploid taxa. This suggests that sufficient time has passed since the origin of tetraploids for new mutations to have been fixed.     

Anther-smut infection of Silene alba caused by Ustilago violacea: factors determining fungal reproduction

Summary The anther-smut fungus Ustilago violacea sporulates in flowers of the dioecious host plant Silene alba. Growth chamber comparisons of healthy and diseased plants, with the genetic background of host and pathogen controlled, revealed that fungal infection increases the number of flowers produced per plant and decreases the size of individual flowers. There were few consistent effects of plant genotype or fungal isolate on diseased flower traits, but differences between the plant sexes were apparent. Stimulation of flower production is proportionally greater in females than males: thus, although healthy male plants produce many more flowers than healthy females, sexual differences in diseased flower number are reduced. Sexual differences in diseased flower size also exist, with male flowers smaller than females. A field inoculation study confirmed dimorphism in diseased flower size and demonstrated that spore production per flower was greater for males than females for all flower size classes.     

A taxonomic study of KoreanSmilacina

Several taxonomic problems of KoreanSmilacina were examined by statistical methods, based on morphological data. Consequently,S. davurica described in Korean flora differs greatly from originalS. davurica, and closely related toS. bicolor morphologically. Therefore, the present authors treated this new taxon as a variety ofS. bicolor, S. bicolor var.flavovirens N. S. Lee et J. Y. Kim var. nov (“Yondusomdae” in Korean). The distribution in South Korea ofS. bicolor var.bicolor is known as only Mt. Chiri, but this species is collected in Mt. Dukyou, also. The bounds of morphological variations ofS. japonica var.japonica, the short plant size and no hairs on the stem, were revealed. The morphological characteristics ofS. japonica var.japonica andS. japonica var.mandshurica is obscure to distinguish. According to the present study,S. japonica var.mandshurica differs fromS. japonica var.japonica in plant size, size of adaxial leaf epidermal cell, ratio of style/ovary length and shape of stigma. The unrecorded taxon in Korean flora,S. robusta, was given a new Korean name as “Kunsomdae.” AlthoughS. japonica var.mandshurica is the variety ofS. japonica var.japonica, it is more closely related toS. robusta than toS. japonica var.japonica.     

Breakdown of distyly in a tetraploid variety of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ophiorrhiza</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic"> japonica</Emphasis> (Rubiaceae) and its phylogenetic analysis

We examined the floral morph of tetraploid Ophiorrhiza japonica Blume var. amamiana Hatus. and diploid O. japonica var. japonica to elucidate the association of distyly and ploidy levels. Chloroplast DNA phylogeny was reconstructed to determine the number of tetraploidization events and floral morph shifts in O. japonica. All individuals of O. japonica var. amamiana proved to be long-homostylous, whereas O. japonica var. japonica was distylous with typical long- and short-styled flowers. Distyly is related to the ploidy level. The bagging treatment of flowers indicated that O. japonica var. amamiana is self-compatible and potentially automatically self-pollinating. In cpDNA sequencing analysis, no haplotype was shared between the two varieties. The cpDNA haplotype network displayed the monophyly of O. japonica var. amamiana, suggesting a single origin of this variety. Hence, both tetraploidization and the breakdown of distyly to homostyly in O. japonica var. amamiana likely occurred just once. Because O. japonica var. amamiana having the morphological and cytological entity is recognized as a single lineage and clearly separated from O. japonica var. japonica, this variety can be considered to be a distinct species. We therefore propose to raise O. japonica var. amamiana to the rank of species. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Scale-specific determinants of a mixed beech and oak seedling–sapling bank under different environmental and biotic conditions

Based on the hypothesis that both plant size and local conspecific density influence allocation to female/male functions, we explored the relationship between plant height, local conspecific density, sexual expression, and fruit production in the andromonoecious shrub Caesalpinia gilliesii. We quantified the total number of perfect and staminate flowers, the pollen received and fruits produced per plant in two populations, and estimated phenotypic gender and fruit set. Local density failed to explain phenotypic gender, nevertheless, plant height and fruit set increased with local density in one population where, in addition, the slopes for the size-dependent sex allocation curve were steeper. As observed for other plant species, this suggests that between population differences in resource availability is the main underlying factor for the observed population differences in the size-dependent allocation pattern to flowers and fruits. On the other hand, the number of staminate and perfect flowers per plant increased with plant height and the fastest increase of staminate flowers resulted in a male-biased size-dependent sex allocation strategy in both populations. Since pollination intensity was not correlated with plant height in any population, the observed allocation strategy cannot be attributed to differences in pollen availability between different sized individuals, but to differences in plant size. Finally, because fruit set and total fruit number increased with plant height in one population, the obtained results provide further evidence that animal-pollinated, andromonoecious species may exhibit a male-biased size-dependent sex allocation strategy, which may favor female fecundity.     

The effects of floral display on pollinator visitation vary among populations ofPhacelia linearis (Hydrophyllaceae)

Summary Individual plants in gynodioecious populations ofPhacelia linearis (Hydrophyllaceae) vary in flower gender, flower size, and flower number. This paper reports the effects of variation in floral display on the visitation behaviour of this species' pollinators (mainly pollen-collecting solitary bees) in several natural and three experimental plant populations, and discusses the results in terms of the consequences for plant fitness. The working hypotheses were: (1) that because female plants do not produce pollen, pollen-collecting insects would visit hermaphrodite plants at a higher rate than female plants and would visit more flowers per hermaphrodite than per female; and (2) that pollinator arrival rate would increase with flower size and flower number, the two main components of visual display. These hypotheses were generally supported, but the effects of floral display on pollinator visitation varied substantially among plant populations. Hermaphrodites received significantly higher rates of pollinator arrivals and significantly higher rates of visits to flowers than did females in all experimental populations. Flower size affected arrival rate and flower visit rate positively in natural populations and in two of the three experimental populations. The flower size effect was significant only among female plants in one experimental population, and only among hermaphrodites in another. The effect of flower number on arrival rate was positive and highly significant in natural populations and in all experimental populations. In two out of three experimental populations, insects visited significantly more flowers per hermaphrodite than per female and visited more flowers on many-flowered plants than on few-flowered plants, but neither effect was detected in the third experimental population. Because seed production is not pollen-limited in this species, variation in pollinator visitation behaviour should mainly affect the male reproductive success of hermaphrodite plants. These findings suggest that pollinator-mediated natural selection for floral display inP. linearis varies in space and time.     

Micropropagation of selected somaclones ofBegonia andSaintpaulia

Begonia x elatior plantlets which regenerated from leaf disk callus showed variations in plant morphology, number of flowers per plant, and flower size. Variations in flowering period, number of flowers per plant, and flower morphology were observed in Saintpaulia ionantha L. plants directly regenerated from leaf disk explants. The cytokinins, benzylaminopurine and zeatin, tested in the culture medium did not affect the basic plant characteristics including flower colour which remained stable in both species. Micropropagation of selected somaclones having the desirable trait of high number of flowers per plant was stable in the MV2 and MV3 generations.     

Gender variation in Actinidia deliciosa,the kiwifruit

Summary Flower and fruit characters were measured in ten female, five male and five fruiting male selections of A. deliciosa var deliciosa (A. Chev) Liang and Ferguson. Flowers from female vines had functional pistils, which contained many ovules. Stamens appeared to be fully developed but produced only empty pollen grains. Flowers from male vines had functional stamens that produced high percentages of pollen grains with stainable cytoplasmic contents. Pistils did not contain ovules and were generally small with vestigial styles. Fruiting male vines had both staminate and bisexual flowers. Staminate flowers were similar to those found on strictly male vines. Bisexual flowers produced ovules and stainable pollen. Pistils were smaller than in pistillate flowers. Although the three flower sexes differed in style length, ovary dimensions and ovules per carpel, staminate and bisexual flowers were similar in number of flowers per inflorescence, stamen filament length, pollen stainability, inflorescence rachis length and carpel number, and differed from pistillate flowers in these characters. The three flower sexes had similar sepal and petal numbers. The fruit of fruiting males were considerably smaller than those of females. Low ovule number appears to be the major factor limiting fruit size in the fruiting males studied. Prospects for developing hermaphroditic kiwifruit cultivars through breeding are discussed.     

Asexual spread versus sexual reproduction and evolution in Japanese Knotweed s.l. sets the stage for the “Battle of the Clones”

The invasion of NW Europe by a single clone of male-sterile Fallopia japonica var. japonica by purely vegetative reproduction has demonstrated that reproduction by seed and the genetic diversity associated with it may not be an essential feature of plant invasions, at least in the short term. What is less well known is that a significant proportion of the Japanese Knotweed s.l. involved is not F. japonica var. japonica, but the hybrid between it and F. sachalinensis–F. × bohemica. This hybrid is able to backcross to either parent with the potential to replace the missing male F. japonica; by the same process, the hybrid is generating the genetic diversity so conspicuously lacking in F. japonica. In terms of understanding the population structure in a particular country, it is important to be able to identify hybrids and putative back-crosses. We bring together a mixture of published and unpublished information to provide a comprehensive section on morphological and anatomical aids to identification. Regeneration of plants from stem and rhizome fragments varies by taxon, as do responses to control techniques, underlining the importance of correct identification of these plants. In this paper we look closely at this group of taxa, with special emphasis on the role played by hybridization, with an examination of the genetic make up of seedlings produced in the wild or by artificial hybridizations, and the implications that this will have on the future directions of the invasion process.     

Karyomorphological study of the Spiraea japonica complex (Rosaceae)

Reported in this paper is a karyomorphological study on one natural population of each of eight varieties in theSpiraea japonica complex. The interphase and mitotic prophase can be classified into the simple chromocenter type and the proximal type, respectively. The metaphase karyotypes of the eight varieties were formulated as follows:S. japonica var.japonica: 2n=18=14m+2sm+2st;S. japonica var.acuta: 2n=18=11m+4sm+3st;S. japonica var.incisa: 2n=18=12m+4sm+2st;S. japonica var.stellaris: 2n=18=15m+1sm+2st;S. japonica var.acuminata: 2n=18=14m+2sm+2st;S. japonica var.ovalifolia: 2n=18=10m+2sm+2st+4t;S. japonica var.glabra: 2n=18=10m+4sm+4st;S. japonica var.fortunei: 2n=36=17m+16sm+3st. Karyomorphological study reveals that the chromosome numbers within the complex are stable, and that karyomorphological divergence between the varieties lies mainly in chromosome size and organization. Based on the karyomorphological data and geographical distribution of the complex, the differentiation pattern as well as evolutionary mechanism of the complex is evaluated.     

Dioecy in the endemic genusDendrocacalia (Compositae) on the Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands

Dendrocacalia crepidifolia Nakai (Compositae, Senecioneae), the only species of this arboreal genus endemic to Haha Island in the Bonin Islands, was found to be dioecious. Male flowers differ from female ones in having a stunted style (style in female exserted from corolla and deeply bifurcating) and anthers filled with fertile pollen (anthers in the female lacking pollen). The size of the corolla and number of florets per head were similar between male and female flowers. The crown area of this arboreal species was also similar in male and female plants. The sex ratio was 0.55 male, not significantly different from 0.5. Both sexes produced nectar of similar sugar concentration (ca. 50%). The flowers are pollinated by feral honeybees (Apis mellifera), but they are thought to have been pollinated by small, lesshairy, endemic solitary bees before honeybees were introduced and subsequently became the dominant bee species on the island. The evolution of dioecy ofDendrocacalia on the island is thought to stem from the deleterious effects of inbreeding that are inherent in plants with geitonogamy. The increased geitonogamy on the island has resulted from increased woodiness (i.e., increased number of flowers per plant) and the original dependence on endemic bee pollinators, which are now endangered.     

Pollen and resource limitations to lifetime seed production in a wild population of the endangered plant Disanthus cercidifolius var. longipes H. T. Chang (Hamamelidaceae)

Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang, a plant species that only occurs in a few counties in Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang Provinces and with a relatively small number of individuals, is ranked as a second Class endangered species for conservation in China. We have studied the effect of pollen and resources available to female reproduction, and the reproductive mechanism of “excess flowers with low fruit set” in Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang was discussed. Results are as follows Pollen from different sources has significant effects on fruit set and seed set of Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang. The pollen source rather than pollen numbers significantly affected reproduction of this species. In wild populations, producing one fruit needs about 54.8 flowers, and one satiation seed needs about 6.60 flowers or 83.19 ovules. After fertilizing, which was propitious to flower development, the abortion rate of flower buds was decreasing, but the flowering rate was increasing. The fruit set and seed set was also significantly increasing, while abortion rate of fruit was significantly decreasing. With the increasing percentages of cutting leaves, the fruit set decreased, but the abortion rate of fruit shows no significant differentiation among treatments. After cutting branches that were puny, broken and insectin-fested branches, the flower number seemed to be decreasing, but the fruit set and seed set all increased significantly. After removing some flowers, the fruit set was calculated with respect to the number of flowers remaining after the treatment increased with increasing of percentages of flower removal, whereas fruit set calculated with respect to the initial number of flowers remained constant, and the mean weights of per fruit and per seed all decreased significantly. Sufficient spatial or temporal heterogeneities in nutrient levels might allow limitation of seed set by resources and pollen in a natural population, while supplying resources may indirectly affect pollination by increasing attraction of the flowers to pollinators. There were very low fruit and seed sets in natural populations of Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang. Different factors may have interacted to effect a low fruit set. A joint adoption of the “selection abortion hypothesis”, “ovary reserve hypothesis” and “male function hypothesis” seems to be the most likely explanation for the reproductive strategy of “excess flowers with few fruit sets” in Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2006, 26(2): 496–502 [译自: 生态学报]     

The Effects of Inflorescence Size and Flower Position on Biomass and Temporal Sex Allocation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lobelia sessiliflora</Emphasis>

To test the prediction of sex allocation theory that plants or flowers high in resource status emphasize the female function, we explored the variation in both biomass (the number of pollen grains and ovules) and temporal (male and female durations) sex allocation among and within plants of protandrous Lobelia sessilifolia in relation to plant size and flower position within plants. Among plants, the mean number of pollen grains and ovules per flower of a plant increased with plant size, whereas the mean P/O ratio (number of pollen grains/number of ovules ratio) decreased with plant size. The mean male duration, the mean female duration, and the mean ratio of male duration/flower longevity per flower of a plant were not correlated with plant size. Thus, large plants emphasized female function in terms of biomass sex allocation, which is consistent with the prediction of size-dependent sex allocation theory. The results for temporal sex allocation, however were inconsistent with the theory. Within plants, the mean number of pollen grains and ovules per flower at each position decreased from lower to upper flowers (early to late blooming flowers) and that of the P/O ratio increased from lower to upper flowers. The mean male duration and the mean female duration per flower decreased from lower to upper flowers, whereas the mean ratio of male duration/flower longevity increased from lower to upper flowers. The population sex ratio changed from male-biased to female-biased. Thus, later blooming flowers emphasized the male function in terms of both biomass and temporal sex allocation, consistent with the sex allocation theory, regarding the change in the population sex ratio.     

Morphological and chromosomal variation in Fallopia section Reynoutria (Polygonaceae) in Korea

We have examined morphological and chromosomal variation inFallopia sect.Reynoutria in Korea to clarify their taxonomic identities and to determine whether their morphological variability is associated with ploidy levels. Principal components analysis (PCA) of individuals from 21 populations, using major distinguishing characters, revealed the presence of four major entiries of sect.Reynoutria in Korea; these includeF. sachalinensis, F. japonica var.japonica, F. forbesii, and the Nonsan population consisting of presumed hybrids. Based on morphology, it is hypothesized that the Nonsan population was probably derived from multiple hybridization events involving the three named taxa. The results also indicate thatF. forbesii is distinct fromF. japonica var.japonica. Polyploidy is more prevalent in sect.Reynoutria than has been previously recognized.Fallopia sachalinensis in Korea occurs as dodecaploids with 2n=132; our count is the first dodecaploid count for the species, and represents the highest chromosome number known in the genus.Fallopia japonica var.japonica occurs as tetraploids (2n=44), hexaploids (2n=66), and octoploids (2n=88), whileF. forbesii occurs as hexaploids (2n=66) and octoploids (2n=88); our counts appear to be the first reported chromosome numbers forF. forbesii. Morphological analysis indicates that there is no apparent correlation between the ploidy levels in these taxa and the morphological characters that we have considered in this study except that the tetraploids ofF. japonica var.japonica tend to have somewhat thicker leaves.     

Effects of biparental inbreeding on the evolution of gynodioecy: A model and a case study inChionographis japonica var.kurohimensis

To examine the evolution of gynodioecy under biparental inbreeding, we developed a new theoretical model and tested it by estimating paramaeters incorporated in the model in a gynodioecious population ofChionographis japonica var.kurohimensis. The model and the results showed biparental inbreeding affects the evolution of gynodioecy, but the effect is very small.     

Floral biology ofTrapa natans var.japonica

The floral behavior and insect visitors ofTrapa natans L. var.japonica Nakai are described. Individual flowers bloom for one day and are visited primarily by Coleoptera and Hemiptera. Exclusion experiments indicate flowers are self- and cross-compatible as well as apomictic. Insect visitors assist in self-pollination as they more within the flower.     

Effects of some natural and synthetic growth regulators on sex-expression of Myrica esculenta Buch-Ham. ex D. Don

Gibberellic acid (GA,), chlorflurenol and ethrel were applied at different concentrations to either male or female trees of Myrica esculenta. GA₃ induced intersexual flowers both on the male and female trees whereas chlorflurenol and ethrel induced similar (intersexual) flowers but only on the male plants. When GA₃ was applied in combination with chlorflurenol, fewer intersexual inflorescences appeared on the male plants along with a significant decline in the number of flowers per inflorescence. In combination, chlorflurenol and ethrel induced copious female and intersexual inflorescences per male plant, especially when two successive treatments of 100 mg/I of chlorflurenol and 1920 mg/l of ethrel were applied. The induced female inflorescences later bore fruits.     

Variation in structural gender in the hermaphrodite Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae): within- and among-population patterns

In hermaphrodite plants, variations in structural gender (defined as the ratio between male and female gametes) may occur at different levels (among flowers, plants, and populations). In this study, we investigated variation in four traits influencing structural gender (number of carpels, ovules per carpel, stamens, and pollen grains per stamen) within and among six distant populations of the hermaphrodite perennial herb Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae) in the Iberian Peninsula. Our results show that the four traits investigated varied significantly at all levels considered. Traits influencing the female sexual component (number of carpels and ovules per carpel) showed greater variation at the lowermost levels (within flower and plant) than traits influencing the male component, which in turn varied more markedly among populations. Number of carpels per flower and number of pollen grains per anther were the most important traits affecting between-plant variation in structural gender. There was no evidence of significant plant-level trade-offs or correlations between the various male and female traits, which covaried differently across populations. The observed between-population variation in structural gender of Helleborus foetidus can be explained as a consequence of differences in self-pollination levels related to a flowers mating environment.