高山植物扁蕾的延迟自交机制

扁蕾(Gentianopsis barbata)具有鲜艳的花和显著的腺体,并且花开放的前5 d柱头和花药始终处于不同的位置(雌雄异位),这些花综合征表明该植物应为异花传粉。为检验这一假设,我们对青藏高原植物扁蕾的海北站种群进行了3年的传粉生物学研究实验。与花综合征所表明的繁育系统相反,两年的野外观察发现昆虫的访花频率十分低,不去雄并隔离昆虫处理也能产生大量种子,说明这一种群的繁殖主要是依赖于自花传粉。尽管利用种子结实评价的柱头可授性从花开放4 d后开始下降,但随着花的发育进程,雄蕊的伸长能使得花药与柱头完全接触。实验也证明,柱头可授性和花粉活力都超过5 d,说明花药和柱头的接触能够发生自花授粉。扁蕾的这种自花传粉机制应属于典型的延迟自交类型。自花授粉发生在单花花期快要结束前,自交之前仍然保持异交传粉机制,这种延迟自交避免了自交与异交竞争造成的花粉或者种子折损,并为扁蕾在青藏高原极端环境下由于访花昆虫缺乏造成的异交失败提供了繁殖保障。     

毛菍传粉生物学研究

为探讨毛菍(Melastoma sanguineum Sims.)传粉生物学特性,对海南霸王岭国家级自然保护区林缘、林内和林隙3个生境内毛菍的花期、花部形态、访花昆虫等进行观察,同时对其繁育系统相关指标进行了测定。结果表明：毛菍无花蜜分泌;花瓣对访花昆虫有吸引作用;访花昆虫主要有蜂类、食蚜蝇类和丽金龟类;主要传粉昆虫有木蜂、熊蜂,其中木蜂传粉活动最为活跃,为最有效传粉昆虫。毛菍具典型的异型雄蕊,长、短雄蕊在传粉过程中具有明确的功能分化,推测这是毛菍保证传粉成功的策略。毛菍为自交亲和的异交种,需要昆虫传粉;人工自交和异交均具有较高的坐果率;不存在无融合生殖、主动自花授粉和滞后自交的生殖保障现象;其繁育系统是兼性自交。昼夜温差较小和相对湿度较高的林内和林隙生境有利于延长群体花期;光照充足、温度相对较高的林缘生境,花朵发育较快,柱头可授性的时间稍早。花粉、传粉者和环境条件是制约毛菍野外传粉效率的主要因素。     

Differences in floral traits and flower visitation rates in mating systems in Prunella vulgaris (Lamiaceae)

夏枯草交配系统对花特征和访花频率差异的影响 植物花特征和传粉者的访问次数与交配系统类型密切相关。唇形科植物夏枯草(Prunella vulgaris)存 在两种植株类型,分别为柱头伸出花冠和柱头在花冠内部的植株,而且两种植株的比例在不同种群中存在差异。本研究选择柱头伸出花冠外植株占绝大多数、柱头伸出花冠外植株占多数和柱头在花冠内部植株占多数的3个种群,通过比较每个种群中两种植株类型的开花物候、花形态特征、昆虫访问频率、自交能力、传粉者对结实的贡献以及近交衰退的水平,以检验花特征和传粉者访问次数与交配系统类型的关系。研究结果表明,与柱头在花冠内部的植株相比,柱头伸出花冠外的植株具有更大和更多的花,产生更多的花粉和花蜜,具有更高的访花频率,并主要通过异交产生种子。在种群水平,柱头伸出花冠外的植株占多数种群的访花频率显著高于柱头在花冠内部植株占多数的访花频率。柱头在花冠内部的植株比柱头伸出花冠外的植株具有更强的自动自交能力,在传粉者缺乏时为其提供了繁殖保障,但繁殖保障和异交率在不同种群中差异不显著,表明较低的昆虫访问能够满足夏枯草的授粉需求以产生种子,这可能与夏枯草较少的胚珠数量(每朵花仅有4个胚珠)有关。柱头在花冠内部植株的近交衰退水平低于柱头伸出花冠外植株的近交衰退水平,但两种植株类型的近交衰退水平均低于0.5,说明近交衰退不足以阻止该物种中自交的进化。综上所述,柱头在花冠内部的植株能够通过自交为夏枯草提供繁殖保障,而柱头伸出花冠外的植株能够利用昆虫传粉确保异交,表明混合交配系统在该物种中是一个稳定的状态。     

片断化生境中濒危植物黄梅秤锤树的开花生物学、繁育系统与生殖成功的因素

 研究处于片断化生境中濒危植物的繁育系统、传粉过程及生殖成功状况, 可为评估物种的受胁迫程度及制订相应的保护和管理策略提 供重要依据。通过野外观察和人工授粉实验等方法,对片断化生境中濒危植物黄梅秤锤树(Sinojackia huangmeiensis)的开花生物学和繁育系统 进行了初步研究, 并探讨了影响其生殖成功的因素。黄梅秤锤树的总状花序上通常有两性花2～6朵, 单花花期约5～7 d, 单花花药不同步开裂 使整朵花花粉活力持续时间延长。虽然花开放过程中柱头始终高于花药, 在单花水平上可在一定程度上避免同花自交的发生, 但由于花粉活力 和柱头可授期之间有一定的重叠期, 在自然情况下, 由于外界媒介动物和风媒的作用, 不可避免地会产生同株同花和同株异花传粉。实验结果 表明, 该种不存在无融合生殖现象, 繁育类型以异交为主, 部分自交亲和且需要传粉者。主要的传粉昆虫为黑带食蚜蝇(Epistrophe balteata) 、中华蜜蜂 (Apis cerana) 和中华回条蜂(Habropoda sinensis)。黄梅秤锤树自然状态下的结实率较低(10.33%), 平均每果种子数较少(0.387 个), 这主要与传粉昆虫少、花粉传递效率低, 以及柱头上自花及同株异花花粉的落置和自交亲和性低有关。但是单株较大的开花量保证了一定 的果实和种子产量, 使居群能自然更新。部分自交亲和性可能为该物种适应生境片断化提供了一定的生殖保障及进化潜力。对该残存居群的保 护, 应着眼于加强对传粉昆虫赖以生存的自然生态系统的恢复。     

山莨菪(茄科)的传粉生物学

茄科的多数种类具有自交不亲和的特点, 主要通过异花传粉结实; 但是, 一些物种或者物种内的部分种群或者个体却高度自交亲合, 转变为自交的繁育系统。该科植物山莨菪(Anisodus tanguticus)主要分布在青藏高原, 开花较早, 比其他晚开花的植物种类更加缺少有效的异花传粉昆虫。我们选择了位于不同海拔高度的2个种群进行比较研究, 主要目的是检验该物种的繁育系统是否在极端环境下由于传粉者的缺乏而发生了部分改变。研究发现,山莨菪的花不完全雌性先熟, 柱头和花药间的平均距离随着花开放时间的延长而不断缩小, 但两者在多数花的单花花期结束时并没有发生接触。因此, 山莨菪花主要表现为适应异花传粉的雌雄异位特征。然而, 少数花 (4.9％)的柱头和花药发生接触, 为“自动自交”的传粉解除了空间隔离。2个种群的多数个体存在自交不亲和机制, 应具有异花传粉的繁育系统; 但是部分个体具有明显的自交亲和能力, 为自交提供了生理基础。高海拔种群的传粉昆虫主要是厕蝇(Fannia sp.), 它们在不同植株间的活动能够保证异花传粉结实; 同时该种群的部分个体存在“自动自交”。低海拔种群的主要访花昆虫是蚂蚁, 它们在花内的活动导致花粉在同一朵花内传递, 而引起“协助自交”; 而异花传粉昆虫厕蝇的访花频率则较高海拔种群低。两个种群的结实均由于异花传粉者不足而受到传粉限制。因此两种不同类型的自交机制为该早期开花植物异花访花昆虫的不足提供了一定程度上的繁殖补偿。     

狭域物种广西秋海棠传粉生物学研究

为了检验广西秋海棠（Begonia guangxiensis）的交配系统和该物种是否依赖原生境的特殊传粉昆虫进行传粉及其能否在人工生境中实现有性繁殖,展开了广西秋海棠的单花花期观察、花部特征测定、授粉、访花者观察及种子萌发测定等试验。结果显示：广西秋海棠具有较长的单花花期,不同生境下的花冠大小表现出一定差异;自交和异交之间座果率及种子萌发率和两生境之间的自然对照座果均无显著差异;访花者包括蜂类（中华蜜蜂（Apis cerana）与萃熊蜂（Bombus eximius））和食蚜蝇（黑带食蚜蝇（Episyrphus balteatus）与刺腿食蚜蝇（Ischiodon scutellaris））,不同生境和不同年份访花者组成有差异。以上结果一致表明,自交亲和的广西秋海棠依赖传粉者进行有性繁殖,但并不依赖某种特殊类型传粉者,而是具有较泛化的传粉系统,因此在非自然生境中也能成功进行有性繁殖。     

木荷主要传粉昆虫的传粉行为

木荷(Schima superba)是我国珍贵的优质阔叶用材和高效生物防火树种,属于异花授粉植物,其种子生产必须依靠传粉昆虫。为了明确木荷主要传粉昆虫的组成及优势传粉昆虫的传粉效率,2015—2016年对浙江省兰溪市木荷种子园主要传粉昆虫的访花行为、携粉部位及数量、访花频率、花粉移出和柱头花粉沉降数目等进行了观测。结果表明,中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana)、白星花金龟(Protaetia brevitarsis)和棉花弧丽金龟(Popillia mutans)是木荷的主要传粉昆虫,中华蜜蜂和棉花弧丽金龟的访花高峰均发生在10:00—11:00,白星花金龟无明显的访花高峰。3种传粉昆虫体表均携带花粉,白星花金龟的携粉量显著高于棉花弧丽金龟(P0.001)和中华蜜蜂(P0.001),棉花弧丽金龟的携粉量显著高于中华蜜蜂(P0.001)。体表不同部位携粉量不同,胸部腹板和腹部腹板的携粉量高于其他部位,3种传粉昆虫的主要传粉部位均为胸腹部。中华蜜蜂每次访花的花粉移出数、柱头花粉沉降数及传粉效率均低于白星花金龟和棉花弧丽金龟,但不显著,而中华蜜蜂在访花频率上占有明显优势,分别为白星花金龟的29倍和棉花弧丽金龟的8.3倍;单花停留时间也显著低于白星花金龟和棉花弧丽金龟。综合各项特征表明,中华蜜蜂是木荷最有效的传粉者。     

天仙子的花部特征及延迟自交机制

通过实验观察和野外控制授粉等方法,对天仙子的自交亲和能力和自交传粉机制进行了研究。结果显示:(1)天仙子的花不完全雌性先熟,开花进程中雄蕊伸长是维持其混合交配系统的重要花部特征。(2)野外控制授粉实验证明天仙子的自交亲和性高,具有主动自交能力,主动自交发生的时间集中在晚花期,与花药和柱头接触的时间吻合。(3)在花粉活力和柱头可授期内,花药与柱头的接触能够发生自花授粉,这种依赖花药与柱头接触发生的自花授粉机制属于典型的延迟自交类型。研究表明,天仙子不仅在花结构上首先选择了适于异交的特征,而且还利用雄蕊伸长成功实现自花授粉,通过异交与延迟自交混合的交配系统为该物种提供了灵活的遗传与繁殖保障。     

多花兰传粉生物学研究

传粉是植物繁殖和进化的一个关键环节,为探讨中国产多花兰(Cymbidiumfloribundum)的传粉生物学特性,对其开花物候、繁育系统、花的挥发性成分、传粉昆虫行为学实验进行了研究。结果表明,多花兰不存在自动自交和无融合生殖,种子的形成有赖于传粉媒介。其自然结实率远低于人工授粉,存在严重的传粉限制。中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana)为多花兰的有效传粉昆虫,但未能从中获得报酬,在传粉过程中将花粉块连药帽一起带出。通过昆虫的行为学实验发现,多花兰气味对中华蜜蜂具有显著性吸引作用,而颜色对中华蜜蜂无显著性吸引作用。花朵的主要挥发性成分为醛类与醇类物质,一天之中在种类和量上几乎没有变化,只有芳樟醇含量的变化与传粉昆虫活动频率相关。本研究可为兰多花兰的野生保护和杂交育种提供一定依据。     

高山植物全缘叶绿绒蒿在不同海拔地区的传粉生态学研究北大核心CSCD

为了探明高山植物全缘叶绿绒蒿(Meconopsis integrifolia)的繁育系统特点和其对高山气候环境的繁殖适应特征,我们沿海拔梯度选择了5个样地(样地1(4 452 m)、样地2(4 215 m)、样地3(4 081 m)、样地4(3 841 m)、样地5(3 681 m))对其传粉生态学进行了连续2年的观察试验。结果发现,样地1、2的全缘叶绿绒蒿的单花寿命显著长于样地3、4和5。花开放早期柱头高于花药,之后花药不断伸长,并在开放中后期与柱头接触,说明全缘叶绿绒蒿具有不完全雌雄异位的花部特征。自然状态下,柱头可授能力持续期约8天(雌蕊先熟),但花药于开花第5天才散粉,花粉寿命约2天,说明全缘叶绿绒蒿为雌雄异熟,但存在一定的重叠期。人工授粉试验表明,全缘叶绿绒蒿自交部分亲和,且不存在无融合生殖现象。各样地中自然对照的结实率显著低于人工异交处理的结实率,说明自然状态下全缘叶绿绒蒿存在一定程度的传粉限制。传粉昆虫观察发现,样地1和2的传粉昆虫主要是蝇类,样地3、4和5的传粉昆虫主要是蝇类和蓟马(Thripidae spp.),蝇类在不同植株间的活动能够保证异花传粉结实,同时,蝇类和蓟马在花内的活动会引起"协助自交"。全缘叶绿绒蒿约65%的观察个体存在"自动自交"。蝇类在各样地的访花频率存在显著差异,样地1访花频率最低,样地2访花频率最高。各样地的结实由于异花传粉者的不足而受到传粉限制。两种不同类型的自交机制恰恰为该植物异花传粉者不足提供了一定程度的繁殖补偿。全缘叶绿绒蒿不分泌花蜜,当环境温度降低时,采取为昆虫提供保温庇护场所的方式来吸引传粉者。     

Pollination biology of Cymbidium goeringii (Orchidaceae) in China

The genus Cymbidium comprises three subgenera with ca. 50 species. Interactions between pollinators and plants have been studied in the two subgenera Cymbidium and Cyperorchis, but only a few studies in the subgenus Jensoa have been reported. Here we report on the reproductive characteristics of C. goeringii (in sub-genus Jensoa) in three populations in the southwest of Hunan Province, China, during the winter from December 2005 to March 2006. Floral phenological and morphological features, behavior of visitors, the breeding system, and fruit sets under natural conditions were studied. The flowers of C. goeringii were strongly fragrant, but did not present any rewards to the visitors. The flowering period of C. goeringii in the studied populations lasted about 40 days, and most flowers (about 60%) opened within 30 days. Flowers opened immediately when temperature increased obviously and reached to about 16 ℃. The flowering time of the pollinated flowers, unpollinated flow-ers and the flowers with pollinarium removed were similar. Two bees of Apidae, Apis cerana cerana (honeybee) and Anthophora melanognatha, were observed visiting flowers of C. goeringii, but only the honeybees performed as pollinators. The honeybees mostly visited the orchid flowers at 10:00–17:00 on sunny days with temperature above 10 ℃. A total of only thirteen visits were observed during 20 days of observation, indicating pollinators were rare. Honeybees directly landed on the upper surface of the labellum and inserted their heads into the flowers between column and labellum, while the hind legs trod on the surface of the curved downward mid-lobe of label-lum. When a honeybee landed on the labellum of a flower, the labellum moved up and down slightly. After the honeybee entered the flower further, its head might touch the foot of the column. At this time, the body of the honeybee was parallel with the upper surface of the labellum. Then the honeybee used its front legs to scratch on the callus ridges on the upper surface of the labellum, and its hind legs hooked the edges of the side lobe of label-lum, trying to exit forcibly from the flower. During exiting process, sometimes the honeybee’s body was arched owing to tension. In this case, the surface of the scutellum came into close contact with the viscidium and then pollinaria, together with the anther cap, were removed. When this honeybee visited next flower, the pollinaria would be adhered to the stigma when it arched its body during the exiting process. Three plant species flowered synchronously with C. goeringii in the studied areas, but their flowers were different with C. goeringii in color or shape. Because C. goeringii is rewardless to pollinators, the flowers probably attract visitors by olfactory stimu-lus. Breeding system experiments showed no spontaneous autogamy and pollination success relying on pollinators in C. goeringii. Artificial pollination resulted in 90% fruit set by induced autogamy, 100% by pollinating within clone, and 100% by xenogamous pollination, respectively. These results indicate that C. goeringii is highly self-compatible and the fruit production is pollen limited. Because pollinators are essential for fruit set of C. goeringii in natural habitats, protection of wild honeybee populations or apiculture is likely a simple but effective strategy to maintain the orchid populations.     

Intra‐floral resource partitioning between endemic and invasive flower visitors: consequences for pollinator effectiveness

1. Sympatric flower visitor species often partition nectar and pollen and thus affect each other's foraging pattern. Consequently, their pollination service may also be influenced by the presence of other flower visiting species. Ants are solely interested in nectar and frequent flower visitors of some plant species but usually provide no pollination service. Obligate flower visitors such as bees depend on both nectar and pollen and are often more effective pollinators. 2. In Hawaii, we studied the complex interactions between flowers of the endemic tree Metrosideros polymorpha (Myrtaceae) and both, endemic and introduced flower‐visiting insects. The former main‐pollinators of M. polymorpha were birds, which, however, became rare. We evaluated the pollinator effectiveness of endemic and invasive bees and whether it is affected by the type of resource collected and the presence of ants on flowers. 3. Ants were dominant nectar‐consumers that mostly depleted the nectar of visited inflorescences. Accordingly, the visitation frequency, duration, and consequently the pollinator effectiveness of nectar‐foraging honeybees (Apis mellifera) strongly decreased on ant‐visited flowers, whereas pollen‐collecting bees remained largely unaffected by ants. Overall, endemic bees (Hylaeus spp.) were ineffective pollinators. 4. The average net effect of ants on pollination of M. polymorpha was neutral, corresponding to a similar fruit set of ant‐visited and ant‐free inflorescences. 5. Our results suggest that invasive social hymenopterans that often have negative impacts on the Hawaiian flora and fauna may occasionally provide neutral (ants) or even beneficial net effects (honeybees), especially in the absence of native birds.     

A preliminary study on pollination biology of Omphalogramma souliei Franch. (Primulaceae), a species endemic to China

The pollination biology of Omphalogramma souliei Franch., a species endemic to southwestern China, was investigated. Floral phenology, flower visitors, pollen/ovule ratio, attractants and rewards to the visitors were observed, measured, and recorded. Bagging experiments to exclude pollinators were carried out in the wild for two years. Our results revealed five important aspects of the reproductive biology of Omphalogramma souliei. 1) The pollen-ovule ratio was 1748±233. The breeding system was self-compatible, with facultative xenogamy. 2) The pollination syndrome is entomophily, and this species could not be pollinated by wind if the pollinators were unavailable. 3) Six insect species were observed visiting the flowers of Omphalogramma souliei in the wild, of them, three species of hymenoptera, Lasioglossum sp., Heriades parvula Cockerell and Micrapis florae Fabricius, are the principal floral visitors and effective pollinators. 4) The visual attractants to the visitors are floral color and shape, the large yellow anthers, and the rewards for visitors are pollen and nectar. 5) Cleistogamy may also occur, since the anthers of some flowers dehisced before opening of the corolla. The results of floral biology and pollination characters suggest that xenogamy predominated and autogamy played an assistant role in the evolution of reproduction and breeding system of O. souliei.     

Many to flower, few to fruit: the reproductive biology of Hamamelis virginiana (Hamamelidaceae)

Hamamelis virginiana flowers from late September to late November. In 1977, we began studying the reproductive biology of this eastern North American arborescent shrub by examining floral phenology and rewards, pollen-ovule ratios, breeding system, pollination, pollinator and resource limitation, and seed dispersal. The homogamous, self-incompatible flowers emit a faint odor, bear nectar with sucrose ratios typical of bee- and fly-pollinated flowers, and produce abundant sticky pollen. Flowers were visited infrequently by insects representing six orders. Flies were the most common floral visitors, specifically members of the genus Bradysia, but small bees also carried high percentages of Hamamelis pollen. Despite high pollen/ovule ratios (11?445 grains/ovule), bees and flies are likely pollinators, as experiments indicate wind pollination is less likely. Pollen quantity and resource availability did not appear to limit reproductive output, but pollen quality did. Tests of >40?000 flowers showed natural fruit set to be <1%. The flowering time, breeding system, and clumped distribution of plants, likely due in part to limited seed dispersal, combine to yield this remarkably low fruit set. Because all other species of Hamamelis flower from late winter to early summer, it may be that H. virginiana evolved a fall flowering phenology to avoid competition for pollinators with the closely related H. vernalis.     

Pollination of Oncocyclus irises (Iris: Iridaceae) by night-sheltering male bees

Irises in the section Oncocyclus (Siems.) Baker ( IRIS: Iridaceae) grow throughout the Middle East and have large and dark-coloured flowers but no nectar reward available to flower visitors. Consequently, no reward-collecting pollinators have been observed visiting the flowers during daytime. The only visitors are solitary male bees ( Eucera spp.: Apidae) that enter the flowers at dusk and stay there overnight. Here we describe the mating system of Oncocyclus irises, and the role of night-sheltering male bees in their pollination system. Pollen viability in I. haynei on Mt. Gilboa was very high (>90%) throughout all floral life stages. Stigmas were receptive in buds and in open flowers, but not in older ones. Self-pollination yielded no fruits in three species, confirming complete self-incompatibility in Oncocyclus irises. On average, 1.9 flowers were visited by each male bee before it settled for the night in the last one. Moreover, Iris pollen was present on the dorsal side of 38.8% of males caught sheltering in flower models mounted near an I. atrofusca population, indicating that pollen is transferred between flowers by night-sheltering solitary male bees. We have surveyed 13 flowering populations of six Oncocyclus species for the presence of night-sheltering male bees as well as for fruit set. We found a positive correlation, indicating that sexual reproduction in Oncocyclus irises is dependent on night-sheltering solitary male bees. Based on their complete self-incompatibility, the absence of nectar-collecting visitors during the day, and the transfer of pollen grains by the night-sheltering solitary male bees, we conclude that fertilization of Oncocyclus irises is totally dependent on pollination by night-sheltering solitary male bees.     

Pollination biology of the sclerophyllous shrub Pultenaea villosa Willd. (Fabaceae) in southeast Queensland, Australia

The pollination biology of the common shrub Pultenaea villosa Willd. was examined in a subtropical dry sclerophyll forest in eastern Australia. We determined floral phenology and morphology, the timing of stigma receptivity and anther dehiscence, nectar availability, the plant breeding system, and flower visitors. The shrub's flowers are typical zygomorphic pea flowers with hidden floral rewards and reproductive structures. These flowers require special manipulation for insect access. A range of insects visited the flowers, although bees are predicted to be the principle pollinators based on their frequency on the flowers and their exclusive ability to operate the wing and keel petals to access the reproductive structures. Nectar and pollen are offered as rewards and were actively collected by bees. Nectar is offered to visitors in minute amounts at the base of the corolla. In Toohey Forest, P. villosa flowers in spring and is the most abundant floral resource in the understory of the forest at this time. The breeding system experiment revealed that P. villosa requires outcrossing for high levels of seed set and that the overlap of stigma receptivity and pollen dehiscence within the flower suggests the potential for self-incompatibility.     

Low legitimate pollen flow in distylic Turnera hermannioides (Passifloraceae) and its consequences on fruit and seed set

Turnera hermannioides is a ruderal distylic subshrub, native to NE-Brazil. In the Catimbau National Park, situated within the semi-arid Caatinga region, we studied the pollination ecology of this species, emphasizing (1) effective pollinators; (2) characteristics of short- and long-styled flowers; (3) intra- and intermorph pollen flow; and (4) fruit and seed set. Short and long-styled morphs differ in pollen size and ornamentation, stigmatic surface, style and stamen length and nectar production. The flowers are obligate intermorphic outcrossers and depend on animals for pollination. The flowers of T. hermannioides attracted insect visitors of 25 species, among them butterflies, beetles, but mainly bees. Polylectic bees, such as Apis mellifera, stingless bees, and solitary Callonychium brasiliense were the most frequent visitors and the principal pollinators. The frequency of visits, however, was very low (on average 1.9 visits/flower/day), resulting in a low and unbalanced legitimate pollen flow, i.e. a much lower number of pollen grains from short-styled flowers reaching stigmas of long-styles than vice versa, which in turn compromised fruit and seed set. Surprisingly, Protomeliturga catimbaui and P. turnerae, both oligolectic on flowers of the Turneraceae-clade of the Passifloraceae s.l., were very rare flower visitors and did not contribute significantly to the pollination of Turnera hermannioides. We discuss how the low visitation rate and the inefficiency of pollinators (i.e. inefficiency in promoting legitimate pollination) compromise pollen flow and, consequently, fruit and seed set in this species.     

Nocturnal and diurnal pollination of Clerodendrum molle (Verbenaceae) in the Gal��pagos Islands

The primary hypothesis of this study was that in the Galápagos Islands, fruit and seed set via nocturnal pollination would exceed that of diurnal pollination because of the greater insect activity at night typical of hot, arid regions. Clerodendrum molle, a widespread member of the Galápagos flora was submitted to pollination experiments, visitor observations, nectar sampling, pollen transfer studies, pollen?Covule ratio studies, and pollen measurements. Flowers set fruit and seed via open pollination, autonomous autogamy, facilitated autogamy, facilitated cross-pollination, diurnal pollination, and nocturnal pollination. Results indicate no significant difference in fruit set. Cross-pollinated flowers showed a significant increase in seed set over all treatments except facilitated autogamy. Nocturnal and diurnal fruit and seed set did not differ significantly. Nocturnal visitors included ants, spiders, hawk moths, and roaches whereas diurnal visitors included carpenter bees and ants. Galápagos members of C. molle exhibit incomplete protandry and set fruit via autonomous autogamy as a result of natural selection in an environment with few faithful pollinators. Overall low fruit and seed set are likely because of a combination of pollen and resource limitation, the latter exacerbated by nectar robbing. Studies of island angiosperms are crucial for complete understanding of the population dynamics of indigenous plants, which can assist conservation officials in protecting these species.     

Pollination biology of mass flowering terrestrial utricularia species (lentibulariaceae) in the Indian Western Ghats

The pollination biology of three mass flowering Utricularia species of the Indian Western Ghats, U. albocaerulea, U. purpurascens, and U. reticulata, was studied for the first time by extensive observation of flower visitors, pollination experiments, and nectar analyses. The ephemerality of the Utricularia habitats on lateritic plateaus, weather conditions adverse to insects, lack of observations of flower visitors to other Utricularia spp., and the predominance of at least facultative autogamy in the few Utricularia species studied so far suggested that an autogamous breeding system is the common case in the genus. In contrast, we showed that the studied populations are incapable of autonomous selfing, or that it is an event of negligible rarity, although P/O was similarily low as in autogamous species investigated by other authors. In all three species the spatial arrangement of the reproductive organs makes an insect vector necessary for pollen transfer between and within flowers. However, U. purpurascens and U. reticulata are highly self-compatible, which allows for visitor-mediated auto-selfing and geitonogamy on inflorescence and clone level. Floral nectar is present in extremely small volumes in all three species, but sugar concentrations are high. More than 50 species of bees, butterflies, moths, hawk moths, and dipterans were observed to visit the flowers, and flower morphology facilitated pollination by all observed visitors. The results are discussed in the context of the phenological characteristics of the studied species, especially the phenomenon of mass flowering, and the environmental conditions of their habitats.     

橙花瑞香的繁殖特性研究

瑞香属植物具有重要的药用和观赏价值,在中国资源丰富,但自然条件下低坐果率限制了该属植物的进一步开发和利用。该研究以橙花瑞香为对象,通过对其有性繁殖及传粉特性的研究,探索其自然坐果率低的原因,内容包括花部特征的测量分析,MTT染色法测定花粉活性,联苯胺-过氧化氢法测定柱头可授性,扫描电镜观察柱头、花粉的形态,传粉者观察,通过花粉胚珠比(P/O)和人工授粉实验推测橙花瑞香的繁育系统类型。结果表明:橙花瑞香的花部结构特殊,管状小花,花药两轮,雌雄蕊分离。花开后的花粉具有活性,柱头具有可授性,扫描电镜下,柱头和花粉的结构没有发育异常,且柱头上有花粉落置。橙花瑞香的传粉者主要是夜间访花的蛾类,访花频率低。P/O及人工授粉实验表明橙花瑞香的繁育系统为专性异交。橙花瑞香的坐果率非常低,自然坐果率为1.4%,人工异花授粉为23.3%,低坐果率可能是受其开花量大、异花花粉限制、资源限制以及花部结构等因素的影响。