蜂访花与不同品种紫花苜蓿花部特征的相关性

紫花苜蓿Medicago sativa L.为严格的异花授粉植物,其授粉主要由蜂类进行。作者对10个不同品种紫花苜蓿的花萼直径、花冠长度、花朵密度、花蜜量及花蜜糖组成等花部特征与访花蜂数的关系进行了研究。结果表明,花部特征对访花蜂数的影响依次为： 单位面积花蜜量(r=0.93,P<0.01) >花朵密度(r=0.92,P<0.01) > 蔗糖含量(r=0.82,P<0.05) > 花冠长度(r=0.77,P<0.05) > 单花花蜜量(r=0.71,P<0.05)。对不同品种紫花苜蓿分别利用花部特征和访花蜂数进行聚类分析,结果显示小组划分虽然有所不同,但都能分为相同的两大组,即：阿尔冈津、陕北、L173、WL323和拉达克聚为一大组,而三得利、德福、赛特、Prime和德宝聚为另一大组。作者认为,花朵的大小是造成紫花苜蓿各品种间的蜜蜂拜访数量差异的首要因素,再次是花蜜量的多少,最后是花朵的颜色。     

利用RAPD和ISSR标记分析烤烟品种间遗传关系

利用RAPD和ISSR标记对22份烤烟(Nicotiana tabacumL.)品种进行了遗传关系研究。在RAPD分析中筛选到13个引物,共扩增出167条带,其中多态性带50条,多态性比率为29.9%;在ISSR分析中筛选出7个引物,共扩增出96条带,其中多态性带44条,多态性比率为45.8%。两种标记相结合估算出的品种间遗传相似系数在0.881~0.979之间,平均为0.933。单独基于RAPD标记和ISSR标记的聚类结果有一定差异;两种标记结合起来的聚类分析结果与系谱信息吻合程度更高。定向选择可能对烤烟品种间遗传关系有较大影响;国外引进品种与国内育成品种并未完全分开,表明分子水平的遗传关系和地理来源间缺乏必然联系。     

甜樱桃品种及其砧木的RAPD分析

利用RAPD技术,从130个随机引物中筛选出46个引物,对欧洲甜樱桃、欧洲酸樱桃、马哈利樱桃和野生中国樱桃4个类型樱桃种,以及欧洲甜樱桃与中国樱桃的种间杂交种共15个品种的基因组遗传变异进行分析。结果表明,46个随机引物均得到了稳定可重复的RAPD图谱,扩增出的DNA条带大小在100~2625bp之间,多态性位点数517个,多态性位点百分率为98.85%,每个随机引物扩增出的多态性DNA条带数在4~23条。品种间Nei遗传距离在0.166~0.479之间,平均遗传距离0.329;甜樱桃新品种‘秦樱1号’与‘秦岭玛瑙’、‘CDR-1’等10个樱桃砧木之间的遗传距离在0.248~0.376,并且根据遗传距离可以相互区分,所分析的15个樱桃品种均扩增出了特有的DNA条带,每个樱桃特有标记带在2~17个之间,共扩增出149个特有标记,据此可以进行樱桃品种及砧木的RAPD鉴定。研究认为利用RAPD技术可以在分子水平上对甜樱桃品种及其砧木进行快速鉴定。     

浙江省野生蜡梅花部形态变异及其与环境因子的相关性

以浙江省蜡梅自然分布区的5个居群为研究对象,采用巢式方差分析、主成分分析、相关分析、聚类分析等多种分析方法,探究蜡梅花部的形态变异及其与环境因子相关性以及居群间和居群内的表型多样性。结果表明:蜡梅花部性状中除雄蕊长度、雌蕊数、雌蕊长度、内被片数以外,其他12个性状在居群间均有极显著差异。胚珠数的平均变异系数最大,花冠内径的平均变异系数最小,各性状的平均变异系数为15.03%(10.81%—23.38%)。五尖山的表型多样性最丰富,碧东山居群最小,种群间平均表型分化系数为44.38%(1.57%—89.62%),种群内变异大于种群间变异,种群内变异是花部变异的主要来源。主成分分析显示花冠直径、花冠内径、花筒深度和中被片长对种群变异起主要贡献作用。花部多数性状间存在显著或极显著的相关关系,生态因子中花部性状与土壤酸度相关性最大,土壤中花部性状与大量元素相关性最大,微量元素次之,中量元素最小。通过UPGMA聚类分析可以将5个种群分成两组。浙江省野生蜡梅花部形态存在丰富的变异和多样性,花部部分性状与土壤中钙、铁、铜含量和海拔有显著或极显著相关关系。     

内蒙古扁蓿豆种质资源花性状的变异分析

采用形态学标记的方法,对来源于内蒙古7个不同生态区的49份扁蓿豆（Medicago ruthenica L.）野生材料进行了花性状变异分析。对花萼长、花萼直径等12个性状进行系统调查和遗传多样性分析。结果表明：扁蓿豆材料间花性状的变异系数幅度最大的为花序长,其变异系数高达79.12%,变异幅度最小的为花萼直径, 其变异系数为3.82%;主成分分析表明,花性状中前7个主成分反应了总信息量的85.465％, 花序长、花序轴长、花冠长度、花序结荚数、花序种子数、花色和小花柄长等7个性状是造成扁蓿豆花性状变异的主要因素;相关分析表明,花性状间多数呈差异显著或极显著,例如:花序结荚数与花序种子数差异极显著,为0.811,呈显著正相关,而花序轴长和小花柄长差异极显著,呈显著负相关,为-0.340;聚类分析将49份材料分为6类, 花性状变异性相同或地理来源相同与相近的材料大部分聚在一起。说明：扁蓿豆材料间的花性状具有丰富的遗传多样性     

皱大球蚧(Eulecanium kuwanai)和瘤坚大球蚧(Eulecanium gigantean)地理种群的RAPD遗传分化

采用RAPD技术测定分析了河北省皱大球蚧和瘤坚大球蚧8个地理种群的遗传结构。结果表明：5种引物在8个种群中共产生了65条RAPD标记,各地理种群之间没有产生各自的特征标记;不同种群间的遗传相似程度与其地理间距呈反比;种群内的遗传相似程度比种间高。Shannon信息指数表明,皱大球蚧的平均遗传多样性高于瘤坚大球蚧,分别为0.3456和0.3225说明物种不同,其变异程度也不同。     

皱大球蚧(Eulecanium kuwanai)和瘤坚大球蚧(Eulecanium gigantean)地理种群的RAPD遗传分化

采用RAPD技术测定分析了河北省皱大球蚧和瘤坚大球蚧8个地理种群的遗传结构。结果表明：5种引物在8个种群中共产生了65条RAPD标记,各地理种群之间没有产生各自的特征标记;不同种群间的遗传相似程度与其地理间距呈反比;种群内的遗传相似程度比种间高。Shannon信息指数表明,皱大球蚧的平均遗传多样性高于瘤坚大球蚧,分别为0.3456和0.3225,说明物种不同,其变异程度也不同。     

陕西大豆资源遗传多样性及变异特点研究

利用42个PAPD引物对75份陕西大豆种质进行遗传多样性分析,共扩增出310个条带,平均每个引物扩增7.3个条带,多态性比率为96%;田间试验考察了13个农艺性状。陕西大豆的遗传多样性在秦岭南、北两个地区有所不同,秦岭北品种遗传多样性指数较高的性状数目和性状遗传多样性指数都大于秦岭南品种,RAPD分子标记遗传多样性指数也是秦岭北品种大于秦岭南品种,但秦岭南品种RAPD分子标记的遗传多样性指数较高的个数大于秦岭北品种。聚类分析将参试大豆材料分为三大类,基本上反映了材料的地理来源。主成分分析结果显示,前两个主成分反映了10.95%的遗传变异,基于前两个主成分值的二维散点图可以将两个地区的材料基本区分开来。AMOVA分析显示,陕西大豆品种个体间的遗传变异占总变异的92.06%,地区间的遗传变异占总变异的7.94%,二者都达到了极显著水平。研究结果表明,陕西大豆资源存在丰富的遗传多样性,秦岭北品种遗传多样性较高,但秦岭南品种有着广泛的微小变异。     

蛋鸡品系RAPD变异及其与杂种优势关系的分析

为探讨RAPD标记在家鸡杂种优势预测中的应用价值,分析了力康自壳蛋鸡纯系的RAPD变异及其与杂种优势的关系．5个纯系内和系间显示出低水平的变异．根据品系间遗传距离DS用UPGMA法进行聚类分析,品系a、e、d聚为一类,而h、l聚为另一类．简单线性相关分析表明,父系相似系数与F1代的60周龄产蛋数存在正相关而与蛋重的杂种优势率存在负相关;母系相似系数与产蛋数的杂种优势率存在高度负相关．但品系间遗传距离与各性状及其杂种优势率之间没有显著的相关关系．     

苜蓿遗传多样性的取样数目——RAPD和SSR群体标记法

紫花苜蓿为异花授粉植物,其DNA多态性研究的取样策略与遗传多样性分析直接相关.选取了4个苜蓿品种陇东(地方品种)、中兰1号(育成品种)、牧歌(Graze)和金皇后(Queen)(引进品种),设置了取样数目分别为10、20、40和60个单株进行DNA混合,利用RAPD(random amplification polymorphic DNA,随机扩增长度多态性DNA)和SSR(simple sequence repeat,简单重复序列)标记分别进行了遗传多样性分析,结果发现40和60个单株DNA混合样的聚类结果一致,表明10和20个单株组成的群体太小,随着苜蓿群体取样数目的增加,遗传多样性分析的准确性也随之增加,但是分析成本也相应提高.鉴于此,利用RAPD和SSR标记分析苜蓿遗传多样性时采用40个单株的DNA混合样是较适宜的群体大小.     

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) as a resource for farmland insect pollinators: quantifying floral traits in conventional varieties and breeding systems

Oilseed rape (OSR; Brassica napus L.) is a major crop in temperate regions and provides an important source of nutrition to many of the yield‐enhancing insect flower visitors that consume floral nectar. The manipulation of mechanisms that control various crop plant traits for the benefit of pollinators has been suggested in the bid to increase food security, but little is known about inherent floral trait expression in contemporary OSR varieties or the breeding systems used in OSR breeding programmes. We studied a range of floral traits in glasshouse‐grown, certified conventional varieties of winter OSR to test for variation among and within breeding systems. We measured 24‐h nectar secretion rate, amount, concentration and ratio of nectar sugars per flower, and sizes and number of flowers produced per plant from 24 varieties of OSR representing open‐pollinated (OP), genic male sterility (GMS) hybrid and cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) hybrid breeding systems. Sugar concentration was consistent among and within the breeding systems; however, GMS hybrids produced more nectar and more sugar per flower than CMS hybrid or OP varieties. With the exception of ratio of fructose/glucose in OP varieties, we found that nectar traits were consistent within all the breeding systems. When scaled, GMS hybrids produced 1.73 times more nectar resource per plant than OP varieties. Nectar production and amount of nectar sugar in OSR plants were independent of number and size of flowers. Our data show that floral traits of glasshouse‐grown OSR differed among breeding systems, suggesting that manipulation and enhancement of nectar rewards for insect flower visitors, including pollinators, could be included in future OSR breeding programmes.     

Patterns and implications of floral nectar secretion, chemical composition, removal effects and standing crop in Mandevilla pentlandiana (Apocynaceae)

Flower morphology, nectar features (chemical composition, production pattern, removal effects, and standing crop) and floral visitors are analysed in an Argentine population of Mandevilla pentlandiana. Nectar variability was examined during the lifetime of a single flower, over the course of the flowering season, and at different times of the day. Nectar is sucrose dominant. There were some variations in the proportions of sugar throughout both the flower lifespan and the flowering season. Flowers produced most nectar during bud-stage. Nectar secretion ceased near the end of the first day after flower opening. Nectar quantity varied as a function of flower age due to a combination of nectar secretion, cessation, and resorption periods. Overall sugar production was increased by nectar removal. Standing crop data showed that each open flower and inflorescence offers c. 2 and 11 mg of sugar respectively at any time of the flowering season. There was higher nectar availability at the beginning of the flowering season compared with the rest of the period. Flowers were visited by bumblebees, honeybees and hummingbirds. The greater the number of open flowers and the nectar variance, the more the mean reward quantity per flower available in the inflorescence. The sources of nectar variability in M. pentlandiana seem to be linked with both the female function (nectar resorption, nectar cessation) and the male one (early and comparatively large nectar availability, variation in nectar production as the flower ages, nectar secretion stimulation by nectar removals).     

Floral plasticity in an iteroparous plant: the interactive effects of genotype, environment, and ontogeny in Campanula rapunculoides (Campanulaceae)

Phenotypic variation in 11 floral and reproductive traits was studied in cloned plants of Campanula rapunculoides replicated in three discrete environments. Using an ANOVA approach, we determined the relative influence of genotype (G), environment (E), G × E interaction, and ontogeny (position on the raceme) on the 11 traits. Two traits, duration of flowering and pollen size, showed no significant variation. All nine remaining traits had significant genotypic variation, accounting for 21-38% of the total phenotypic variation. Correlations among variant traits in seven genotypes were predominantly positive, but several significant correlations in one environment changed sign or were nonsignificant in another environment. Ovule number was negatively correlated with most male function traits: the negative correlation between ovule and pollen number was particularly strong and consistent across environments. Six traits varied significantly across environments, including number of flowers, number of ovules per flower, and duration of the male phase, but pollen traits did not show a significant environmental main effect. The G × E interaction was significant for flower number, corolla size, nectar quality, duration of the male phase, pollen viability, and ovule number. The contribution of interaction variance to the total phenotypic variation (5-14%) was comparable to that of the environment alone (7-21%). Ovule number decreased in flowers on the upper part of the raceme by nearly 25%, but other traits did not vary significantly by floral position. These results suggest that (1) pollen traits are buffered against environmental change more than ovule number or other floral characters, (2) a male-female trade-off exists and is complicated by ontogenic factors, (3) G × E interactions are common but may have small effects, and (4) specific correlation patterns among floral traits can be dependent upon the environment under which they develop.     

Intraplant variation in nectar traits in Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae) as related to floral phase, environmental conditions and pollinator exposure

Factors that contribute to variation in nectar sugar composition, nectar concentration and volume have been a central concern in studies of pollinator assemblages in angiosperms. In an effort to better understand the mechanisms underlying variation in nectar traits, we designed a series of experiments with flowering Helleborus foetidus individuals under natural and glasshouse conditions, to identify intraplant variation in nectar traits which depend on both intrinsic (sexual phases of individual flowers) and external (pollinator visits and plant growth conditions) factors. The results showed that nectar volume, sugar composition and concentration in Helleborus foetidus varied between floral sexual phases, environmental growing conditions, and levels of flower exposure to pollinator visits. Processes of mate-limitation in male reproductive success or pollen-limitation in female success, as well as flower protogyny and holocrine secretion of nectaries may be involved in nectar variability between floral phases. By comparing different environments we observed that nectar volume and concentration at the nectary and flower level were plastic traits sensitive to external conditions, emphasizing responsiveness to environmental changes and a consequent plasticity in nectar traits such as sugar concentration and volume. Nectar sugar composition did not respond to different growing conditions, suggesting that this is an intrinsic characteristic of this species, but pollinator exposure produced significant changes in the nectar of single nectaries, particularly in the sucrose-fructose balance. Future research on nectar ecology and nectar chemistry will need to consider that nectar traits exhibit different kinds of variation at the intraplant level and under different environmental conditions.     

Nectar concentration and composition of 26 species from the temperate forest of South America

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Floral nectar concentration and chemical composition of 26 plant species native to the temperate forest of southern South America are reported and the relationships with the flower type are evaluated. METHODS: Nectar concentration was measured with a hand refractometer and sugar composition was analysed by gas-liquid chromatography. Plant species were classified into flower type categories based not only on floral features but also on data from the literature and field observations on their pollinators. KEY RESULTS: Most data on nectar are new reports at the generic and/or specific level. Plant species in which more than one population was studied showed significant among-population variation in nectar sugar concentration and composition. Results showed a weak relationship between nectar traits and flower type. Many species had nectar containing 50 % or more sucrose (17 of 26 species), independent of the main pollinator. CONCLUSIONS: Considering that (a) nectar characteristics did not show a clear association with different flower types or with plant taxonomic membership, and (b) different populations of the same species showed large variability in sugar composition, the results suggest that other factors (e.g. historical and environmental) could be involved in determining the sugar composition of the highly endemic plant species from this region.     

Extreme intraplant variation in nectar sugar composition in an insect-pollinated perennial herb

Variation in nectar chemistry among plants, flowers, or individual nectaries of a given species has been only rarely explored, yet it is an essential aspect to our understanding of how pollinator-mediated selection might act on nectar traits. This paper describes variation in nectar sugar composition in a population of the perennial herb Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae) and dissects it into components due to variation among plants, flowers of the same plant, and nectaries of the same flower. The proportions of sucrose, glucose, and fructose in single-nectary nectar samples collected at two times in the flowering season were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Sugar composition varied extensively among nectaries, and nearly all combinations of individual sugars were recorded. Population-wide variance was mainly accounted for by variation among flowers of the same plant (56% of total), nectaries of the same flower (30%), and only minimally by differences among plants (14%). In absolute terms, intraplant variation was similar to or greater than that ordinarily reported in interspecific comparisons. Results suggest that the prevailing notion of intraspecific constancy in nectar sugar composition may be unwarranted for some species and that more elaborate nectar sampling designs are required to detect and appropriately account for extensive within-plant variance. Within-plant variation in nectar sugar composition will limit the ability of pollinators to exert selection on nectar chemistry in H. foetidus and may be advantageous to plants by reducing the number of flowers visited per foraging bout by variance-sensitive, risk-averse pollinators.     

Elevated carbon dioxide increases nectar production in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epilobium angustifolium</Emphasis> L.

Effects of elevated CO₂ and nutrient availability on nectar production and onset of flowering in five different seed families (genotypes) of Epilobium angustifolium were investigated in a greenhouse experiment. Elevated CO₂ significantly increased nectar production per day (+51%, p < 0.01), total sugar per flower (+41%, p < 0.05), amino acid concentration (+65%, p < 0.05) and total amino acids per flower (+192%, p < 0.001). All other parameters tested, i.e., nectar sugar concentration, proportion of glucose/fructose and proportion of sucrose/(glucose + fructose), were not significantly affected by elevated CO₂ and/or fertilization. However, elevated CO₂ caused a marginally significant trend for earlier flowering in highly fertilized plants. No significant family × CO₂ interaction was found in any of the tested parameters, but the response in nectar production varied considerably among seed families (+10 to +104%) and was significantly positive in two of the five seed families investigated. Our results are not consistent with earlier studies on effects of elevated CO₂ on nectar production and flowering phenology in other plant species. It seems, on the other hand, that CO₂ effects on nectar production are specific to species and genotype. Hence, no general conclusions about effects of elevated CO₂ on these floral traits can be drawn at present, but it must be cautioned that elevated CO₂ might not only increase floral rewards as in E. angustifolium, but might also lead to shifts or even disruptions in fine-tuned plant–pollinator interactions.     

Reproductive conflicts ofPalicourea padifolia (Rubiaceae) a distylous shrub of a tropical cloud forest in Mexico

We studied a population of the distylousPalicourea padifolia (Rubiaceae) in a cloud forest remnant near Xalapa City, Veracruz, México to explore possible asymmetries between floral morphs in the attractiveness to pollinators, seed dispersers, nectar robbers, floral parasites, and herbivores. We first assessed heterostyly and reciprocal herkogamy by measuring floral attributes such as corolla length (buds and open flowers), style and anther heights, stigma and stamen lengths and the distance between the anther tip to the stigma lobe. We then estimated floral and fruit attributes such as flower size, anther height, number and size of pollen grains, fruit size, seed size, nectar production, and flower and fruit standing crops to assess differences between floral morphs in attracting and effectively using mutualistic pollinators and seed dispersers. Also, floral parasitism and nectar robbing were assessed in this study as a measure of flower attractiveness to antagonists. The system seems to conform well to classical heterostyly (e.g. reciprocal stamen/style lengths, pollen and anther dimorphism, intramorph incompatibility) yet, there were several tantalizing differences observed between pin and thrum morphs. Thrum flowers have longer corollas and larger but fewer pollen grains than pin flowers. Both morphs produced the same total number of inflorescences, developed the same number of buds, and opened the same number of flowers per inflorescence during the flowering season. Nectar production and sugar concentration were similar between floral morphs but the reward was not offered symmetrically to floral visitors throughout the day. Nectar concentration was higher in pin flowers in the afternoon. The numbers of developing, fully developed, and ripe fruits were the same between floral morphs, however, fruits and seeds were larger than those of thrums. The incidence of fly larvae was higher among thrum flowers and damage by nectar robbing was the same between floral morphs. Fruit abortion patterns of flowers manually pollinated suggest intra-morph sterility (self and intramorph incompatibility). There were no differences between morphs in fruit and seed set per flower following legitimate pollination although thrums were more leaky than the pins (intramorph compatibility).     

Honeybees and the nectar of Echium plantagineum L. in southeastern Australia

An account is given of the flower of Echium plantagineum in south-eastern Australia, including stages and timing of flowering, behaviour of raindrops in the flower and aspects of floral microclimate. The concentration of nectar solutes varied with time and site, with means varying from 2 to 62% (as g sucrose/100 g solution). There was a significant negative correlation between nectar solute concentration and ambient relative humidity: the drier the air, the more concentrated the nectar. Rates of nectar secretion per flower varied with the bagging method, with long-term bagging reducing net secretion rates, possibly because of re-absorption. Rates varied with time, day and site, with a temporal pattern of change suggesting a link between rates of photosynthesis and secretion. Maximum nectar secretion rates in short-term bagging experiments were ca. 300 μg sugar/flower/hr (equivalent to > 2 mglflower/24 hr). Secretion rate was correlated with flower density. As flower density increased, secretion rate per flower decreased; rate of sugar production per unit area increased relatively more slowly than flower density. E. plantagineum could produce > 500 mg sugar/m²/day. Honeybees foraged on E. plantagineum only at ambient air temperatures above ca. 17°C unless irradiance exceeded ca. 750 W m^-2. Foragers collected nectar or pollen alone, or both, with the type of visit significantly correlated with nectar solute concentration. Below 35% (as g sucrose/100 g solution) most bees took pollen only; above 40%, most took nectar. Mean standing crop of nectar was generally < 100 μg/flower when most bees were taking nectar, but could exceed 1000 μg/flower when bees were absent or foraging mainly for pollen. Honeybees did not always remove all nectar from flowers they probed. Reabsorption of residual nectar may augment the following day's secretion.