Pollination of lark daisy on roadsides declines as traffic speed increases along an Amazonian highway

Ecological disturbances caused by roadways have previously been reported, but traffic speed has not been addressed. We investigate effects of traffic speed on pollination of Centratherum punctatum (Asteraceae) along an Amazonian highway roadside. We hypothesised that frequency of flower visitors, duration of single visits and pollen deposition on stigmas will vary negatively as traffic speed increases. After measuring vehicle velocities, we classified three road sections as low‐, mid‐ and high‐velocity traffic. The main pollinator bee, Augochlora sp., visited C. punctatum inflorescences with decreasing frequency from low‐ to high‐velocity roadside sections, whereas the nectar thief butterflies did the opposite. Duration of single visits by bees and butterflies was shorter, and arrival of pollen on C. punctatum stigmas was lower, in high‐ than in low‐velocity roadside. Air turbulence due to passing vehicles increases with velocity and disturbed the flower visitors. Overall, results support that traffic velocity negatively affects foraging of flower visitors and the pollination of C. punctatum on roadsides.     

Flowering mechanisms,pollination strategies and floral scent analyses of syntopically co‐flowering Homalomena spp. (Araceae) on Borneo

In this study, the flowering mechanisms and pollination strategies of seven species of the highly diverse genus Homalomena (Araceae) were investigated in native populations of West Sarawak, Borneo. The floral scent compositions were also recorded for six of these species. The selected taxa belong to three out of four complexes of the section Cyrtocladon (Hanneae, Giamensis and Borneensis). The species belonging to the Hanneae complex exhibited longer anthesis (53–62 h) than those of the Giamensis and Borneensis complexes (ca. 30 h). Species belonging to the Hanneae complex underwent two floral scent emission events in consecutive days, during the pistillate and staminate phases of anthesis. In species belonging to the Giamensis and Borneensis complexes, floral scent emission was only evident to the human nose during the pistillate phase. A total of 33 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in floral scent analyses of species belonging to the Hanneae complex, whereas 26 VOCs were found in samples of those belonging to the Giamensis complex. The floral scent blends contained uncommon compounds in high concentration, which could ensure pollinator discrimination. Our observations indicate that scarab beetles (Parastasia gestroi and P. nigripennis; Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae) are the pollinators of the investigated species of Homalomena, with Chaloenus schawalleri (Chrysomelidae, Galeuricinae) acting as a secondary pollinator. The pollinators utilise the inflorescence for food, mating opportunities and safe mating arena as rewards. Flower‐breeding flies (Colocasiomyia nigricauda and C. aff. heterodonta; Diptera, Drosophilidae) and terrestrial hydrophilid beetles (Cycreon sp.; Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae) were also frequently recovered from inflorescences belonging to all studied species (except H. velutipedunculata), but they probably do not act as efficient pollinators. Future studies should investigate the post‐mating isolating barriers among syntopically co‐flowering Homalomena sharing the same visiting insects.     

Seasonal and annual variations in the pollination efficiency of a pollinator community of Dictamnus albus L.

The interplay between insect and plant traits outlines the patterns of pollen transfer and the subsequent plant reproductive fitness. We studied the factors that affect the pollination efficiency of a pollinator community of Dictamnus albus L. by evaluating insect behaviour and morphological characteristics in relation to flowering phenology. In order to extrapolate the pollinator importance of single taxa and of the whole pollinator guild, we calculated an index distinguishing between potential (PPI) and realized (RPI) pollinator importance. Although the pollinator species spectrum appeared rather constant, we found high intra‐ and inter‐annual variability of pollinator frequency and importance within the insect community. Flower visitation rate strictly depended on insect abundance and on the overlap between their flying period and flower blooming. All the pollinators visited flowers from the bottom to the top of the racemes, excluding intra‐plant geitonogamous pollination, and most of them showed high pollen fidelity. Only medium large‐sized bees could contact the upward bending stiles while feeding on nectar, highlighting a specialisation of the plant towards bigger pollinators. Moreover, we found evidence of functional specialisation, since all pollinators were restricted to a single taxonomic group (order: Hymenoptera; superfamily: Apoidea). Both the PPI and RPI indices indicate Habropoda tarsata as the most important pollinator of D. albus. Following hand cross‐pollination experiments we revealed the presence of pollination limitation in 1 of the 3 years of field study. We discuss this result in relation to flowering abundance and to possible mismatches of phenological periods between plants and insects.     

小果叶下珠花气味组成及其两性异型性

大戟科(Euphorbiaceae)植物小果叶下珠(Phyllanthus microcarpus)由种特异性细蛾科(Gracillariidae)昆虫头细蛾(Epicephala)专门为其传粉,具体包括:头细蛾在雄花上积极采粉,然后为雌花授粉并在其内产卵等极其不同的传粉行为。花气味在维持小果叶下珠与传粉头细蛾专性传粉互利共生关系中起着至关重要的作用。采用动态顶空吸附法分别收集小果叶下珠雌花和雄花气味,利用气相色谱-质谱(gas chromatography-mass spectrometry,GC-MS)联用技术分析鉴定其成分,并用峰面积归一法与内标法进行定量,最后通过主成分分析法比较两者间的差异性。结果表明:(1)小果叶下珠花气味中共分离出17种化合物,主要以萜类和脂肪族物质为主;顺-β-罗勒烯在雌花和雄花中含量均最高,为主要气味成分;(2)雌花气味释放量显著高于雄花;(3)雌花和雄花之间气味化学成分存在明显的差异,即具有两性异形性。初步推测花气味出现两性异形性是植物为适应传粉头细蛾极其高度特异的传粉行为(雄花采粉,雌花传粉并产卵)而选择进化的结果。     

濒危植物金花猕猴桃繁殖生物学初步研究

繁殖生物学是目前濒危植物保护生物学研究的重点领域之一,金花猕猴桃(Actinidia chrysantha)是猕猴桃属濒危物种之一,目前未见其繁殖生物学相关报道。因此,该文以分布于花坪国家级自然保护区的野生金花猕猴桃为研究对象,用游标卡尺测量了花器官及果实形态,通过野外观察记录了其物候、访花昆虫及开花结果习性,用人工授粉和套袋法确定其传粉媒介,开展田间播种试验确定种子繁殖力,对其繁殖生物学开展了较为系统的研究。结果表明：金花猕猴桃物候因海拔高度不同而不同,较低海拔地区5月中下旬开花,高海拔地区5月下旬至6月上旬开花,花期持续7~10 d,果实每年9月下旬至10月上旬成熟;雄株花枝率76.5％,雌株果枝率61.9％,果实长圆柱形、短圆柱形或椭圆形,平均单果重7.34~27.53 g,最大果重35.0 g;金花猕猴桃为虫媒和风媒共同授粉,主要访花昆虫有蜜蜂科、细蜂科、鼻蝇亚科、食蚜蝇科、蜡蝉科、大蚊科长脚蚊属昆虫等;金花猕猴桃种子发芽率低,参试的3个居群的种子发芽率存在差异,分别为花坪17.5％,资源车田15.36％,贺州姑婆山0;4种不同种子处理方式中,低温＋GA3处理的种子发芽率(22.67％)最高。综上所述,金花猕猴桃不存在传粉障碍,种子萌发率低可能是致其濒危的重要原因。该研究结果为保护金花猕猴桃种质资源提供了科学依据。     

油橄榄授粉受精和胚胎发育过程观察

该研究以油橄榄“鄂植-8”为材料,应用压片荧光观察花粉在柱头和花柱中的萌发及生长情况,采用石蜡制片法观察油橄榄的胚珠结构特点和授粉受精过程。结果表明：油橄榄为1子房2心室4胚珠,珠心较发达,由多层细胞构成,属于厚珠心椭圆型胚珠,胚珠直生;花开时花粉粒落到柱头上立刻萌发,随后花粉管在花粉通道中生长,再后进入子房经子房内表面,大部分花粉管不能到达胚珠,仅少数沿胎座生长经珠柄进入珠孔,释放2个精子,2个精核分别进入卵细胞和极核,并与卵核及极核相互融合;观察到合子中雌、雄性核仁融合的过程。授粉受精各阶段经历的时间为花粉落到柱头上立刻萌发;授粉后6d左右,花粉管长入胚珠的珠孔,随后释放精子;10 d左右完成授粉受精,30 d左右形成心型胚,40 d左右胚发育几乎成熟。在进行子房石蜡切片中,共观察到612个完整子房切片,发育完整的子房为97.53％,完成授粉受精的胚珠为15.52％。油橄榄在自然授粉下,约85％的胚珠授粉受精过程不能完成,在一定程度上影响其坐果。该研究结果为油橄榄授粉受精、高效生产等提供了理论依据。     

Paternal‐specific S‐allele transmission in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.): the potential for sexual selection

Homomorphic self‐incompatibility is a well‐studied example of a physiological process that is thought to increase population diversity and reduce the expression of inbreeding depression. Whereas theoretical models predict the presence of a large number of S‐haplotypes with equal frequencies at equilibrium, unequal allele frequencies have been repeatedly reported and attributed to sampling effects, population structure, demographic perturbation, sheltered deleterious mutations or selection pressure on linked genes. However, it is unclear to what extent unequal segregations are the results of gametophytic or sexual selection. Although these two forces are difficult to disentangle, testing S‐alleles in the offspring of controlled crosses provides an opportunity to separate these two phenomena. In this work, segregation and transmission of S‐alleles have been characterized in progenies of mixed donors and fully compatible pollinations under field conditions in Prunus avium. Seed set patterns and pollen performance have also been characterized. The results reveal paternal‐specific distorted transmission of S‐alleles in most of the crosses. Interestingly, S‐allele segregation within any given paternal or maternal S‐locus was random. Observations on pollen germination, pollen tube growth rate, pollen tube cohort size, seed set dynamics and transmission patterns strongly suggest post‐pollination, prezygotic sexual selection, with male–male competition as the most likely mechanism. According to these results, post‐pollination sexual selection takes precedence over frequency‐dependent selection in explaining unequal S‐haplotype frequencies.     

Pollination in Lilium sargentiae (Liliaceae) and the first confirmation of long‐tongued hawkmoths as a pollinator niche in Asia

The geographical distribution of pollinators is an important factor determining the biogeographical pattern of floral evolution and diversification. In Africa, a guild of plant species has converged in a floral syndrome for pollination by long‐tongued hawkmoths (predominantly Agrius convolvuli). It is hypothesized that such floral convergence could track the geographical distribution of long‐tongued hawkmoths, so it may not be confined to Africa. We investigated the pollination biology of Lilium sargentiae E. H. Wilson, which is endemic to China and exhibits traits suggestive of long‐tongued hawkmoth pollination. Lilium sargentiae was visited by A. convolvuli as well as small beetles (Nitidulidae) but pollination was mostly or totally effected by the moth. It was consistent with other hawkmoth‐pollinated plants in terms of floral tube length, nectar traits, tepal reflectance, and scent composition. We present the first experimental evidence for the hypothesis proposed above and for hawkmoth pollination in the widespread and ornamentally and economically important genus Lilium L. in a natural habitat. Our findings imply that long‐tongued hawkmoths (especially the extremely widespread A. convolvuli) as a distinctive pollinator niche may have underlain the evolution of long‐tubed (>8 cm) flowers across different continents.     

Male mate‐seeking and mating behaviors of Eucera nipponensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae) at a nectarless orchid habitat: Are empty flower patches a profitable rendezvous site?

Male solitary bees typically use emergence‐nesting areas and/or flower patches of food plants, where receptive females are relatively numerous, as rendezvous sites. However, mate‐seeking males have been also observed at food‐deceptive orchid patches, where numerous encounters with foraging females can hardly be expected, owing to the lack of floral rewards. Here, we describe the male mate‐seeking and mating behaviors of the Japanese long‐horned bee Eucera nipponensis at habitats of the food‐deceptive orchid Cymbidium goeringii. On the basis of the results, we report empty flower patches are not necessarily fruitless sites for mate‐seeking males because naive female bees, which are highly likely to be recently emerged and unmated, can be attracted to non‐rewarding orchids. We also suggest a possibility that a small number of the males could receive a “sexual reward” (i.e. mating opportunities), owing to the food‐deceptive orchid, in return for their pollination work. This occasional interaction could represent the initial stage in the evolution of sexually deceptive orchids from food‐deceptive orchids.