Evolutionary associations between nectar properties and specificity in bird pollination systems

A long-standing paradigm in biology has been that hummingbirds and passerine birds select for different nectar properties in the plants they pollinate. Here we show that this dichotomy is false and a more useful distinction is that between specialized and generalized bird pollination systems. Flowers adapted for sunbirds, which are specialized passerine nectarivores, have nectar similar to that of hummingbird flowers in terms of volume (approx. 10-30 microl), concentration (approx. 15-25% w/w) and sucrose content (approx. 40-60% of total sugar). In contrast, flowers adapted to generalized bird pollinators are characterized by large volumes (approx. 40-100 microl) of extremely dilute (approx. 8-12%) nectar with minimal sucrose (approx. 0-5%). These differences in nectar traits are highly significant even when statistical analyses are based on phylogenetically separate pairwise comparisons between taxa. We present several hypotheses for the association between nectar properties and specificity in bird pollination systems.     

Attractiveness of binary blends of floral odorant compounds to moths in Florida, USA

Evaluation of combinations of flower odor compounds in the field revealed several compounds that were attractive or co-attractive with phenylacetaldehyde (PAA) to pest noctuid and pyralid moths. A number of moth species responded positively to the key floral odorant PAA. The floral odorants cis -jasmone, linalool, benzyl acetate, limonene, β-myrcene, methyl salicylate, and methyl 2-methoxybenzoate all increased captures of some moths when added to traps with PAA, but responses varied among the moth species that were trapped. For example, soybean looper moths, Pseudoplusia includens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), most strongly responded to PAA + β-myrcene, but benzyl acetate, cis -jasmone, and limonene also increased captures of these moths when these compounds were used in traps along with PAA. Velvetbean caterpillar moths, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), responded most strongly to PAA + linalool, but β-myrcene, cis -jasmone, and limonene also increased captures of these moths in traps over numbers trapped with PAA. Positive responses to floral compound blends were also noted for golden looper [ Argyrogramma verruca (F.)], grass looper [ Mocis disseverans (Walker)], tobacco budworm [ Heliothis virescens (F.)], southern armyworm [ Spodoptera eridania (Stoll) (all Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)], and melonworm [ Diaphania hyalinata (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)]. Overall, PAA + β-myrcene appeared to be the strongest floral compound combination for pest species trapped, compared to PAA or other compound blends.     

Start making scents: the challenge of integrating chemistry into pollination ecology

Although research on plant volatiles and pollination ecology has grown explosively over the past 15 years, there remains little dialogue between these fields. Here I examine the historical and cultural reasons for this impasse, focusing on the ways that questions in each field are addressed, and the potential for productive cross-talk. The specialization–generalization debate in pollination has cast doubt on the importance of sensory biology in mediating plant–pollinator interactions on the community scale. However, chemical 'filters' of volatile or nectar-borne repellents are likely to explain the absence of specific interactions in plant–pollinator webs. In addition, the omission of plant volatiles from path analyses measuring the relative impacts of herbivores and pollinators on plant fitness may be one reason for large unexplained variance terms in such models. Floral scent functions in concert with visual and gustatory cues by attracting pollinators from a distance, increasing approaches and landings, and mediating outcrossing rates through changes in visitation frequency and duration. All dimensions of floral chemistry, including ontogenetic and diel variation in scent emissions, have the potential to respond to balancing selection between herbivores and pollinators. The available data reveal that chemical aspects of floral phenotypes are important across the specialization–generalization spectrum, and thus are widely applicable to mainstream pollination ecology.     

Functional Significance of Interspecific Variation in Burmeistera Flower Morphology: Evidence from Nectar Bat Captures in Ecuador

What causes flowers to diverge? While a plant's primary pollinator should strongly influence floral phenotype, selective pressures may also be exerted by other flower visitors or competition with other plants for pollination. Species of the primarily bat‐pollinated genus Burmeistera (Campanulaceae) frequently cooccur, with up to four species in a given site, and broadly overlap in flowering phenology, typically flowering throughout the year. The genus displays extensive interspecific variation in floral morphology in the degree that the reproductive parts (anthers and stigma) are exserted outside of the corolla, and species can be roughly classified as either long or short‐exserted. I tested two hypotheses regarding the functional significance of such variation: (1) exsertion lengths correspond to pollination by bat species of different sizes; and (2) variation serves to partition pollinator's bodies spatially and thus reduces interspecific pollen transfer. I captured bats in Ecuador to evaluate the identity and location of the Burmeistera pollen they were carrying. Results show that exsertion does not correspond to specialization on different pollinators; different bat species carried pollen of both flower types just as frequently. In support of the second hypothesis, pollen from flowers of different exsertion lengths was found to occur on different regions of bats' heads. This may serve to reduce competition for pollination among coexisting Burmeistera.     

姜科植物研究进展

姜科植物在种类、外部性状及内部解剖等方面具有高度的复杂性,其传粉方式也显示出了丰富的多样性。因此,姜科植物的研究对姜目乃至单子叶植物的系统与进化研究,都具有十分重要的意义。本文综述了国内外有关姜科植物在分类学、系统学、解剖学、花器官发生学和繁殖生物学等方面的研究和进展,以期能为该类群的系统研究提供一定的帮助。     

金佛山自然保护区种子植物区系初步研究

根据新近调查资料及对历史文献资料的查阅,整理出重庆市金佛山地区种子植物区系资料。到目前为止,金佛山共分布有种子植物183科1256属4 764种,其中野生植物达160科(其中裸子植物7科,被子植物153科)1111属4093种。野生植物中单种科17个,少型科(2～5种)33个,多种科(6～50种)87个,大科(51～100种)14个,特大科(101种以上)9个,分别占金佛山野生种子植物总科数的10．625％、20．625％、54．375％、8．75％和5．625％;种子植物科的区系成分以热带成分最多,达72科,占金佛山种子植物总科数的45．00％,其次为温带和世界分布型,分别为41科和33科,分别占25．625％和20．625％,特有成分仅17科(统计分析数据以14科计),其中东亚特有科13科,中国特有科4科。属的区系成分按世界分布、热带分布、温带分布、东亚分布和中国特有分布五种成分分别为73属、483属、332属、174属和49属,分别占金佛山种子植物总属数的6．57％、43．48％、29．88％、15．66％和4．41％。金佛山种子植物科的区系成分具备了全国种子植物区系15个分布类型及31变型的10型及10变型,属的区系成分具备14型及24变型。本文还就金佛山与邻近的神农架和壶瓶山等进行了比较分析,总体结论为金佛山在种子植物分布区类型及物种分布数量上都较为丰富,证明了金佛山地区为我国亚热带植物的自然分化和分布中心之一的观点。     

鹅掌柴花蜜腺的发育解剖学研究

对鹅掌柴(Scheffler octophylla Harms．)花蜜腺的发育进行解剖结构观察。鹅掌柴花盘蜜腺位于下位子房上方环绕花柱基部。蜜腺由分泌表皮、产蜜组织组成,心皮维管束与其相邻并发出一些伸入蜜腺基部的短分枝。蜜腺起源于心皮原基基部外侧的几层细胞。鹅掌柴花蜜腺为淀粉型蜜腺,淀粉粒为许多微小颗粒聚集成的复粒。原蜜汁由蜜腺基部维管束的筛管提供,达产蜜组织细胞和表皮细胞后以淀粉粒的形式贮藏。泌出的蜜汁一部分来自淀粉粒的降解,一部分来自泌蜜期输入的原蜜汁。表皮和产蜜组织细胞均具泌蜜功能。泌出的蜜汁大部分通过气孔排出,还有部分由角质层渗出。     

商陆属中五基数花起源于三基数花的新证据——非洲商陆的花器官发生

运用扫描电镜和石蜡切片方法对非洲商陆Phytolacca dodecandra L′Her.的花器官发生过程及花器官各部分的位置排列进行了观察。结果表明：非洲商陆萼片5枚,以螺旋向心方式发生;没有观察到花瓣原基的发生;雄蕊为螺旋离心方式发生,前4枚雄蕊分2对出现在对萼位置,但此后发生的雄蕊的发生顺序明显区别于其他种;心皮4-5枚,与内部雄蕊互生。本文探讨了时空因素对花器官发生的影响,基于对非洲商陆花器官发生的观察,否定了“商陆属源于二轮雄蕊样式”的假说,并为商陆属中“五基数花起源于三基数花”的观点提供了新的证据。     

Gymnosperm Orthologues of Class B Floral Homeotic Genes and Their Impact on Understanding Flower Origin

Class B floral homeotic genes play a key role in specifying the identity of male reproductive organs (stamens) and petals during the development of flowers. Recently, close relatives (orthologues) of these genes have been found in diverse gymnosperms, the sister group of the flowering plants (angiosperms). The fact that such genes have not been found so far, despite considerable efforts, in mosses, ferns or algae, has been taken as evidence to suggest that B genes originated 300–400 million years ago in a lineage that led to extant seed plants. Gymnosperms do not develop petals, and their male reproductive organs deviate considerably from angiosperm stamens. So what is the function of gymnosperm B genes? Recent experiments revealed that B genes from diverse extant gymnosperms are exclusively expressed in male reproductive organs (microsporophylls). At least for some of these genes it has been shown that they can partially substitute for the Arabidopsis B genes AP3 and PI in ectopic expression experiments, or even partially substitute these genes in different class B floral organ identity gene mutants. This functional complementation, however, is restricted to male organ development. These findings strongly suggest that gymnosperm and angiosperm B genes have highly related interaction partners and equivalent functions in the male organs of their different host species. It seems likely that in extant gymnosperms B genes have a function in specifying male reproductive organs. This function was probably established already in the most recent common ancestor of extant gymnosperms and angiosperms (seed plants) 300 million years ago and thus represents the ancestral function of seed plant B genes, from which other functions (e.g., in specifying petal identity) might have been derived. This suggests that the B gene function is part of an ancestral sex determination system in which B gene expression specifies male reproductive organ development, while the absence of B gene expression leads to the formation of female reproductive organs. Such a simple switch mechanism suggests that B genes might have played a central role during the origin of flowers. In the out-of-male and out-of-female hypotheses changes in B gene expression led to the origin of hermaphroditic flower precursors out of male or female gymnosperm reproductive cones, respectively. We compare these hypotheses with other recent molecular hypotheses on the origin of flowers, in which C/D and FLORICAULA/LEAFY-like genes is given a more prominent role, and we suggest how these hypotheses might be tested in the future.