矮慈姑的传粉机制与交配系统

对矮慈姑（ＳａｇｉｔａｒｉａｐｙｇｍａｅａＭｉｑ）的传粉过程与花粉流作了观察,用同工酶遗传标记法对其一个自然居群的异交率作出定量估计。在自然及人工居群中均观察到虫媒传粉,其中有较大比例的近距离传粉。未检出风媒花粉流。自交可育,同时存在雌雄同株和花序内雌雄花异熟等异交机制。异交率估计结果（ｔ＝４９９％）表明其交配系统为异交／自交兼性系统。作者认为,其较大比例的自交应归因于同株之不同克隆分株间交配的频繁发生     

利用SSR荧光标记对野慈姑异交率的估测

对自交亲和植物交配系统进行估测,有利于了解植物的繁殖状态、自异交进化的轨迹和特定种群的自然历史或选择压力。自交亲和的野慈姑有性繁殖和克隆繁殖并存,且其花序内和无性系分株间存在雌雄花同时开放的现象即给自交带来了机会。本研究利用SSR标记估测野慈姑自然种群的异交水平,并比较分析异交率估测中荧光定量法的准确性和优势,探讨野慈姑不同自然种群微卫星位点的多态性。结果表明,从28对SSR引物中筛选出3对多态性较高的引物,其多种群水平的位点数分别是5、6、6;对1个自然种群的6棵植株共计31个果实的异交率进行估测,其整体异交率为92.87%±2.5%,揭示了野慈姑自然种群的交配系统以异交为主,且无性繁殖对后代的贡献有限;单引物水平下,荧光定量技术检测出的多态性位点数和杂合率均高于NativePAGE成像电泳,且其对异交率估测的结果也更准确;另外,从检测效率实验耗时和实验成本等方面综合分析,本研究推荐使用荧光定量技术。     

刺五加、短梗五加的开花动态及繁育系统的比较研究

野外定位观测刺五加（Eleutherococcus senticosus),短梗五回（E.sessiliflorus)的开花进程,花朵的功能形态特征和开花动态,用杂交指数（OCI）,花粉－胚珠比（P／O）,去雄,套袋,人工授粉等方法分别测定刺五加,短梗五加的繁育系统,结果显示,刺五加种群,短梗五加种群的花期均持续1个月左右,刺五加比短梗五加早开花20d 左右,二均有雄蕊先熟现象,刺五加是单全异株植物,种群内既具有雄性,又具有雌株,还具有两性株,繁育系统主要为异交,需要传粉活动才能完成授粉过程,与刺五加不同,短梗五加仅具两性花,但繁育系统也以异交为主,短梗五加两性花中的雌,雄器官既在空间上分离,又在时间上分离,只能进行同株异花间或异株,异花间传粉才能受精结实。     

澳古茨藻传粉生物学和繁育系统的初步研究

澳古茨藻（ＮａｊａｓｏｇｕｒａｅｎｓｉｓＭｉｋｉ）是典型的水下水媒传粉植物。雄花在花粉释放前２—４ｈ花梗迅速伸长,突破膜质鞘状外被,并且向外弯曲,至花粉释放盛期几乎是水平状态,有利于释放后的花粉直接进入水流以求传播。花部组成与结构极为简化,花粉中富含淀粉粒,花粉落置柱头前常萌发出长的花粉管,形成宜为柱头捕获的花粉笺,表现出对水下水媒传粉的高度适应。有性繁殖十分发达,自交、异交和混交的结实率都在８５％以上;花粉／胚珠（Ｐ／Ｏ）为２６９０±３００,指示兼性自交的繁育系统。无性繁殖较弱,仅以易长不定根的植株片段形式存在,但仍对该种的扩散具有重要意义。作者对澳古茨藻的花生物学特征、传粉机制以及繁育系统进行了探讨,对澳古茨藻表现出的许多沉水植物所特有的特征特性：花被的简化、花粉外壁的简化作了解释,讨论了繁育系统中自交与异交的关系。     

红树植物木榄(Bruguiera gymnorrhiza)种群的交配系统

利用等位酶多态位点作遗传标记,采用水平切片淀粉凝胶电泳技术检测了我国福建浮宫（24°24′）、广东深圳福田（22°32′）、广西山口合浦（21°28′）和海南东寨港（19°51′）4个红树植物分布区内木榄种群的基因型,进而利用多位点异交率估测程序（MLT）估测其交配系统。所用多态酶位点在浮宫、广西、海南均为Mdh-1、Mdh-2、Me-1,在深圳为Mdh-1、Mdh-2、Aat-1、Aat-2。结果表明各种群多态位点异交率之间有很大差别,浮宫种群最大,为0.845;海南种群最小,为0.267。多位点异交率与单位点异交率平均值的差值显示出除广西种群为随机交配外,其余3个种群都存在轻度的双亲近交。因此,木榄属于混合交配类型,以杂交为主。这主要受植物种群密度、结构,传粉者适应性和活动能力以及是否自交亲和等因素的影响。     

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。     

蛛网萼开花物候、花部特征及繁育系统研究

为探讨蛛网萼(Platycrater arguta)传粉生物学特性,该研究以江西上饶广丰铜钹山国家级自然保护区、江西阳际峰国家级自然保护区蛛网萼为材料,采用野外观察和人工授粉等方法,对蛛网萼开花物候、花部形态及繁育系统进行了研究。结果表明:(1)蛛网萼为伞形花序,种群花期一般在6月中下旬至8月中旬,单花花期为2~3 d,花序花期持续10 d。两个保护区由于年均温度与光照的不同,花期进程有显著不同。(2)蛛网萼可孕花与不孕花从绿色变为白色时对访花昆虫有吸引作用,不孕花能够增加昆虫的访花频率。(3)蛛网萼花粉胚珠比(P/O)为2 520~3 100,杂交指数即是3或4。(4)繁育体系属于以异交为主,部分自交亲和,需要传粉者;熊蜂(Bombus sp.)、四条蜂(Apis florea)和油茶地蜂(Andrena cammelia)是蛛网萼的有效传粉昆虫。(5)套袋和人工授粉结果显示,蛛网萼为兼性自交和异交授粉,异株异花授粉能显著提高坐果率及结籽率,这主要与生境中有效传粉昆虫种类、数量少,花粉传递效率低,种群间基因流交流降低以及柱头自花及同株异花传粉等有关,从而表明在蛛网萼现有生境中植株的早期生殖成功受到影响。蛛网萼种群分布范围扩张以有性繁殖为主,无性繁殖作为重要补充及繁殖保障。     

野慈姑自然群体异交率的定量估测

用自然群体取样和同工酶遗传标记的方法对沼生植物野慈姑（Sagittaria trifolia Linn.）及其变型长瓣慈姑［S.trifolia Linn.f.longiloba(Turcz.)Makino］的异交率作了定量研究,3个自然群体的异交率估计值为=91.0％～98.0％,表明该种为异交占绝对优势的交配系统。在野慈姑各群体间未发现异交率的显著差异。 Abstract:The outcrossing rates of Sagittaria trifolia Linn.and S.trifolia Linn.f.longiloba(Turcz.) Makino,a helophyte species and a form under the species,were estimated by sampling from natural habitats and using isozyme locus as genetic marker.According to the values of outcrossing rates in 3 populations( =91.0％～98.0％),the mating system of the species studied was found to be dominated by outcrossing mechanisms.Statistical analysis suggested that there was no significant difference in outcrossing rates among the populations.     

四合木种群生殖对策的研究

 通过研究四合木(Tetraena mongolica Maxim)种群的生殖对策,发现四合木既可进行有性生殖,又可进行营养繁殖,以有性生殖为其主要的生殖方式。有性生殖过程中具以下特征：1)具有自交和异交相结合的交配系统,异交比例(50％)高于自交比例(15％);2)具有花多果少的生殖格局,其开花率与生境、降水、植株年龄关系密切,不同种群的开花率有一定差异,种群的年龄结构对开花率有较大影响。在3～5月降水丰富的情况下,不仅开花比例高(40％～80％),且每一植株的花量很大。不同年份种群结实率普遍偏低,3～5月降雨较少的1996年平均结实率为19.8％;3～5月降雨较多的1998年为12.2％。只是由于开花基数大,对四合木种群种子的总产量不会造成较大威胁;3)胚胎发育过程中败育比率极高,只有约10％～20％的胚能发育成熟。     

短葶飞蓬(Erigeron breviscapus)的花部综合特征与繁育系统

通过野外观察,运用杂交指数、花粉．胚珠比、套袋实验等方法,对短葶飞蓬自然种群的开花状态及繁育系统进行研究。结果如下：短葶飞蓬具头状花序,由外围舌状花及中央的管状花构成。种群花期一般为4～7月份,一个花序的花期约为19～25d。管状花单花花期一般为7～10d,聚药雄蕊,先熟,药室内向开裂,成熟的花粉散于花药筒中。花开后花柱快速伸长,导致雄蕊伸出花冠,同时将药筒中的花粉粒“推”出药筒,形成花冠、药筒、柱头三者在空间上的分离。花序中不断有小花开放,同一花序内的小花间具相互传粉的机会。杂交指数≥4,判断繁育类型属于异交,部分自亲和,需要传粉者。P／O值约为1373,判断繁育类型属于兼性异交。套袋实验证明短葶飞蓬异花授粉,虫媒,蜂、蝶为主要传粉者。在自然状况下,短葶飞蓬结实率较低的原因可能是花粉竞争。此外,短葶飞蓬存在天然雄性不育植株,为遗传育种提供了材料。     

Pollination biology and outcrossing rates in hermaphroditic Schiedea lydgatei (Caryophyllaceae)

The influence of outcrossing and pollination biology on the maintenance of hermaphroditism was studied for Schiedea lydgatei (Caryophyllaceae: Alsinoideae), a species endemic to Moloka`i in the Hawaiian Islands. Schiedea lydgatei is the only hermaphroditic species in an otherwise dimorphic clade and hermaphroditism is likely the result of a reversal from a gynodioecious ancestor. Both wind and native moths in the family Pyralidae are responsible for pollination in S. lydgatei. Outcrossing rates were generally high (0.80), especially in years when the greatest number of plants were flowering. The combination of high outcrossing rates and substantial inbreeding depression indicates that at present females would not be favored in the population. Pollination by both wind and insects is consistent with the hypothesis that hermaphroditism is the result of a relatively recent reversal, as the ancestor of S. lydgatei was probably wind pollinated and gynodioecious with few females in the populations. A shift from wind to predominately insect pollination on Moloka`i may have resulted in increased outcrossing rates and prevented the expression of high inbreeding depression among progeny of hermaphrodites, a condition that would select against females and favor a reversal to hermaphroditism. Because few females were likely to have been present in ancestral populations that colonized Moloka`i, founder effect is another potential explanation for loss of females. In either case, current high levels of outcrossing prevent re-establishment of females in populations of S. lydgatei.     

濒危植物凹叶厚朴的花部综合特征和繁育系统

为了解凹叶厚朴(Magnolia officinalis subsp.biloba)濒危的生殖生物学原因,通过野外观测,运用杂交指数、花粉-胚珠比、花粉活力和柱头可授性观测、人工授粉和套袋实验等方法,对凹叶厚朴种群的开花生物学、繁育系统进行了研究。结果表明:凹叶厚朴单花花期一般为4～5d,单花花期根据形态和散粉时间可分为4个时期:蕾期、初开期、盛开期和凋零期;种群于4—5月开花,一般开花历时30d左右,但不同地点、年份间有所差异;种群无开花高峰,单株平均开花数量为171.4～188.8朵,平均开花振幅为5～6朵·株-1·d-1;凹叶厚朴杂交指数为4,花粉胚珠比为5728.86,结合人工套袋和授粉实验结果可确定,繁育系统为异交,传粉过程需要传粉者;花粉活力较高(94%),且花粉活力可维持至散粉后的第6天。散粉后,柱头可授性显著下降,花粉高活力期与柱头可授期有5～6h的重叠;自然状况下结果率和单果出种百分率低,异株异花授粉可明显提高结果率和单果出种百分率,二者相对自然状况分别提高14.25%和43.66%。表明自然状态下传粉效率低、柱头最佳可授期短、同株自花授粉败育严重是其濒危的主要生殖生物学原因。     

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。     

THE EFFECTS OF POPULATION SIZE AND PLANT DENSITY ON OUTCROSSING RATES IN LOCALLY ENDANGERED SALVIA PRATENSIS

Multilocus outcrossing rates were estimated in natural and experimental populations of Salvia pratensis, an entomophilous, gynodioecious, protandrous perennial. Male steriles were used to check the estimation procedure of outcrossing rates in hermaphrodites. Estimates of outcrossing rates in hermaphroditic plants ranged from 38.2% to 81.8% in natural populations and from 71.5% to 95.5% in experimental populations. No correlations were found between outcrossing rates and population size. However, outcrossing in hermaphrodites was promoted by high plant densities and low frequencies of male steriles. It is argued that effective management to preserve genetic variation in populations of S. pratensis should provide for the maintenance of high plant densities.     

Composition of the pollinator community,pollination and the mating system for a shrub in fragments of species rich kwongan in south-west Western Australia

In this study we investigate the composition of the potential honeyeater pollinator community, patterns of honeyeater visitation, pollination and the mating system in a range of population fragments for the bird-pollinated mixed mating system shrub Calothamnus quadrifidus R.Br. Specifically, we aimed to answer the following questions. For smaller and more isolated population fragments are honeyeater species lost from the pollinator community, patterns of visitation different, levels of pollination lower and rates of selfing, biparental inbreeding and correlated paternity higher. The composition of the honeyeater community was similar across population fragments and there was no relationship between the abundance of birds and population fragment size. Honeyeaters were most commonly observed visiting numerous inflorescences within single plants in all populations, but as population fragments became larger movements between plants were more commonly observed. Our observations of honeyeater visitation were generally consistent with our measurements of pollination and patterns in the mating system across population fragments. We found no significant relationship between population fragment size and levels of pollination. Mating system studies showed outcrossing rates (t _m) comparable to those found in other bird-pollinated Myrtaceae, and ranged from 0.54 to 0.90 across populations. Outcrossing rates were not significantly correlated with log population size, but correlations of outcrossed paternity indicate a clear trend from low correlated paternity in larger populations to significantly higher correlated paternities in smaller populations. As a consequence mating in small populations will occur between much smaller groups of plants, and this may affect population fitness in subsequent generations.     

Pollen and seed dispersal among dispersed plants

The ecological significance of spacing among plants in contributing to the maintenance of species richness, particularly in tropical forests, has received considerable attention that has largely focussed on distance- and density-dependent seed and seedling mortality. More recently it has become apparent that plant spacing is also relevant to pollination, which often constrains seed production. While seed and seedling survival is reduced at high conspecific densities, pollination success, by contrast, is positively correlated to local conspecific density. Distance-dependent mechanisms acting on pollination and seed production have now been described for a variety of plants, with relatively isolated plants or fragmented populations generally suffering reduced fecundity due to pollen limitation. Yet there is considerable variability in the vulnerability of plant species to pollination failure, which may be a function of breeding system, life history, the pollination vector, the degree of specialisation among plants and their pollinators, and other indirect effects of habitat change acting on plants or pollinators. As reduced tree densities and population fragmentation are common outcomes of anthropogenically altered landscapes, understanding how pollination processes are affected in such degraded landscapes can inform effective conservation and management of remaining natural areas.     

Outcrossing rates and male sterility in natural populations of Plantago coronopus

Summary Outcrossing rates were estimated in three populations of the gynodioecious species Plantago coronopus by means of electrophoresis of adult plants and their natural progenies. A multilocus estimation procedure was used. Heterogeneity among the pollen-pool allele frequencies did not exist either in space of in time. Differences between populations in mean outcrossing rates were large (range: 0.34–0.93), probably caused by differences in densities of flowering plants. In addition, there was considerable variability between individuals, which was at least partly caused by the presence of male sterility. Population density may, via its influence on outcrossing rates, be a factor influencing the maintenance of male sterile plants in the population. The level of outcrossing in hermaphrodites was not low enough to explain the maintenance of male steriles. Outcrossing rates in two populations, established via progeny analysis, were much lower than calculated with the fixation index, possibly indicating heterozygote advantage in these natural populations.Grassland Species Research Group Publication no. 134     

Relative impact of mate versus pollinator availability on pollen limitation and outcrossing rates in a mass‐flowering species

Plant mating systems are driven by several pre‐pollination factors, including pollinator availability, mate availability and reproductive traits. We investigated the relative contributions of these factors to pollination and to realized outcrossing rates in the patchily distributed mass‐flowering shrub Rhododendron ferrugineum. We jointly monitored pollen limitation (comparing seed set from intact and pollen‐supplemented flowers), reproductive traits (herkogamy, flower size and autofertility) and mating patterns (progeny array analysis) in 28 natural patches varying in the level of pollinator availability (flower visitation rates) and of mate availability (patch floral display estimated as the total number of inflorescences per patch). Our results showed that patch floral display was the strongest determinant of pollination and of the realized outcrossing rates in this mass‐flowering species. We found an increase in pollen limitation and in outcrossing rates with increasing patch floral display. Reproductive traits were not significantly related to patch floral display, while autofertility was negatively correlated to outcrossing rates. These findings suggest that mate limitation, arising from high flower visitation rates in small plant patches, resulted in low pollen limitation and high selfing rates, while pollinator limitation, arising from low flower visitation rates in large plant patches, resulted in higher pollen limitation and outcrossing rates. Pollinator‐mediated selfing and geitonogamy likely alleviates pollen limitation in the case of reduced mate availability, while reduced pollinator availability (intraspecific competition for pollinator services) may result in the maintenance of high outcrossing rates despite reduced seed production.     

Mating system in Mexican populations of the annual herb Solanum rostratum Dunal (Solanaceae)

Traditionally, annual colonising species are expected to have high rates of self‐fertilisation, although recent theoretical and empirical studies have shown that cross‐fertilisation can be selected for under heterogeneous pollination environments. Solanum rostratum is a self‐compatible annual herb that colonises disturbed habitats. Despite the lack of physiological mechanisms to prevent self‐fertilisation, pollen transfer between individuals is expected to be favoured because of its complex floral morphology. In previous studies of S. rostratum it has been shown that anther dimorphism within flowers results in precise pollen placement on the pollinator's body, and the presence of mirror‐image floral morphs within plants promotes outcrossing in experimental arrays. However, the mating system of natural populations of S. rostratum has never been assessed, and thus whether it is predominantly selfing or outcrossing remains unknown. We hypothesise that floral and inflorescence morphology of S. rostratum should facilitate cross‐fertilisation, making it a predominantly outcrossing despite its lack of a self‐incompatibility system. To test this hypothesis, we estimated outcrossing rates by genotyping 700 individuals at 13 microsatellite loci, sampled from four populations across a 690‐km transect in the species' native range. We found that populations had mean outcrossing rates of 0.70 ± 0.03, with multiple sires contributing to paternity of each progeny array (average effective number of sires = 8.97 ± 0.57). This indicates that natural populations S. rostratum have relatively high levels of outcrossing, probably facilitated by its floral and inflorescence morphology. We speculate that partial selfing in this species may be an unavoidable consequence of displaying multiple flowers at the same time (geitonogamy), as well as the result of self‐pollen transfer by illegitimate visitors.     

THE EVOLUTION OF SELF-FERTILIZATION AND INBREEDING DEPRESSION IN PLANTS. II. EMPIRICAL OBSERVATIONS

A bimodal distribution of outcrossing rates was observed for natural plant populations, with more primarily selfing and primarily outcrossing species, and fewer species with intermediate outcrossing rate than expected by chance. We suggest that this distribution results from selection for the maintenance of outcrossing in historically large, outcrossing populations with substantial inbreeding depression, and from selection for selfing when increased inbreeding, due to pollinator failure or population bottlenecks, reduces the level of inbreeding depression. Few species or populations are fixed at complete selfing or complete outcrossing. A low level of selfing in primarily outcrossing species is unlikely to be selectively advantageous, but will not reduce inbreeding depression to the level where selfing is selectively favored, particularly if accompanied by reproductive compensation. Similarly, occasional outcrossing in primarily selfing species is unlikely to regularly provide sufficient heterosis to maintain selection for outcrossing through individual selection. Genetic, morphological and ecological constraints may limit the potential for outcrossing rates in selfers to be reduced below some minimum level.