Morphological dispersion of introduced Hawaiian finches: evidence for competition and a Narcissus effect

Summary Morphological analyses were conducted on finch species introduced to Oahu, Hawaii. As many as 25 species of finches representing four families (Emberizidae, Fringillidae, Ploecidae, Estrildidae) have been introduced to Oahu. Of these, 15 species currently have established wild populations. When compared with pools of 25 and 23 species introduced to Oahu, the 15 surviving species are morphologically overdispersed. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that competition has influenced the outcome of these introductions. We also tested the hypothesis that surviving introduced finches in one habitat (sugarcane fields) were morphologically overdispersed. When the seven surviving finch species found in sugarcane were compared with the pools of 25 and 23 species, they too were morphologically overdispersed. However, when the seven sugarcane species were compared with a species pool consisting of only the surviving 15 species found across Oahu, they were not morphologically overdispersed. This result suggests that morphological analyses of community structure based only on comparisons of assemblages of surviving species may be biased by a Narcissus effect.     

The evaluation of pollen quality,and a further appraisal of the fluorochromatic (FCR) test procedure

Summary Methods currently available for evaluating pollen quality in vitro include, (a) tests of germinability; (b) tests of the stainability of the vegetative cell contents; (c) tests for enzyme activity, and (d) the fluorochromatic procedure (FCR), which tests principally the integrity of the plasmalemma of the vegetative cell. Using germinability in vitro as a standard, a comparison has been made between histochemical methods of classes (b), (c) and (d) in application to various pollens, immature, mature, and treated in ways known to affect viability and membrane state. Predictably, the lowest correlation was obtained with tests of stainability. The highest was given by the FCR, which generally provided an excellent guide to potential germinability. The FCR procedure is subject to various limitations, however, (a) A high correlation between FCR and germinability can only be expected when mature, ripe pollen is used; with immature pollen, the FCR will predict excessively high potential germinability. (b) The FCR may also predict a higher potential level of pollen function than in vitro germinability when the germination medium is sub-optimal. In this situation, however, it will generally give a better guide to fertilising capacity, (c) The FCR is not a test of pollen viability. Like germinability in vitro, it can yield a negative score with pollen which is nevertheless capable of functioning. For example, false negatives will be obtained with some species if the pollen is not properly pre-conditioned by rehydration before testing, an important point in monitoring stored pollen. The paper includes a brief discussion of the rationale of pollen testing.     

The role of short-tongued insects in floral variation across the range of a style-dimorphic plant

Background and Aims

Heterostyly and related style polymorphisms are suitable model systems to evaluate the importance of functional pollinators in the maintenance of population variability. In Narcissus papyraceus different functional pollinators, incompatibility system and flower morphology have been proposed to influence the maintenance of polymorphism through their effect on disassortative mating. Here a test is done to find out if the visitation rate of long- versus short-tongued pollinators correlates with the morph ratio and if the latter is related to other flower traits of the species across its main geographic range.

Methods

Floral traits from 34 populations in the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula and in north-west Africa were measured, perianth variation was described and a comparison was made of allometric relationships between sex organs and floral tube. Correlations between pollinator guilds, stigma–anther separation of reciprocal morphs (our proxy for disassortative mating) and morph-ratio variation were analysed. Finally, the incompatibility system of the species in the northern and southern borders of its distribution are described.

Key Results

Flowers from southern populations were significantly larger than flowers from centre and northern populations. The abundance of short-styled plants decreased gradually with increasing distance from the core region (the Strait of Gibraltar), with these disappearing only in the northern range. Although there was a significant difference in stigma–anther separation among populations, morph ratio was not associated with reciprocity or floral tube length. Long-style morph frequency increased with short-tongued pollinator visitation rate. Populations from both edges of the distribution range were self-incompatible and within- and between-morph compatible.

Conclusions

The style morph ratio changed gradually, whereas perianth trait variation showed abrupt changes with two morphotypes across the range. The positive relationship between the visitation rate of short-tongued pollinators and the decrease of the short-style morph supports our initial hypothesis. The results highlight the importance of different pollinators in determining the presence of style polymorphism.     

中国东部沿海水仙归化群体的遗传多样性

为揭示我国东部归化水仙(Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis)的群体遗传多样性,利用2个叶绿体基因mat K和trn H-psb A片段对采自沪、浙、闽的5个代表群体的49株水仙进行了评估。结果表明,双基因联合序列的总长为1443bp,共定义6个单倍型,各归化群体的遗传多样性水平为DLSYPTDNJD=ZZCMD。AMOVA分析表明,群体内变异为遗传变异的主要来源(91.98%),群体间的遗传分化较低(Fst=0.080 22)。群体物种水平上的谱系结构不显著(Nst=0.020Gst=0.031;P0.05)。Mantel检验表明水仙群体间的遗传距离与地理距离呈显著的线性相关(r=0.929,P=0.02 0.05)。中性检验和错配分布分析结果均暗示水仙群体背离了快速扩张模型的假设。单倍型分布的中介网络图结合系统发育NJ树均将所有群体划分为2大分支。因此,我国东部沿海水仙归化群体整体遗传多样性水平较低,各群体间遗传分化较弱,遗传变异主要来自群体内,物种近期未经历扩张事件,可能是基因流受海岛隔离、自身生物学特征、生境异质性与及人为干扰的综合作用影响。     

The development of eight microsatellite loci in the wild daffodil Narcissus triandrus (Amaryllidaceae)

We report microsatellite primer pairs for the wild tristylous daffodil, Narcissus triandrus (Amaryllidaceae). From enriched libraries, we identified 58 unique microsatellite loci. We designed primer pairs for 27 of these loci and screened genomic DNA from 38 to 40 adults from a single population. For eight polymorphic loci, the number of alleles per locus ranged from five to 17. As six primers also amplified loci in three other Narcissus species, including two horticultural varieties, we expect that some of these markers will be transferable to other Narcissus species.     

Daffodil flowers delay senescence in cut Iris flowers

Visible symptoms of tepal senescence in cut Iris x hollandica (cv. Blue Magic) flowers were delayed by placing one cut daffodil flower (Narcissus pseudonarcissus, cv. Carlton) in the same vase. Addition of mucilage, exuded by daffodil stems, to the vase water had the same effect as the flowering daffodil stem. The active compound in the mucilage was identified as narciclasine (using LC/MS, GC/MS, 1H and 13C-NMR, and comparison with an authentic sample of narciclasine). The delay of senescence, either by mucilage or purified narciclasine, was correlated with a delayed increase in protease activity, and with a considerable reduction of maximum protease activity. Narciclasine did not affect in vitro protease activity, but is known to inhibit protein synthesis at the ribosomal level. Its effects on senescence and protease activity were similar to those of cycloheximide (CHX), another inhibitor of protein synthesis, but the effective narciclasine concentration was about 100 times lower than that of CHX. It is concluded that the delay of Iris tepal senescence by daffodil stems is due to narciclasine in daffodil mucilage, which apparently inhibits the synthesis of proteins involved in senescence.     

Early steps of deoxyxylulose phosphate pathway in chromoplasts of higher plants

1-Deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate and 2C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate have been shown as intermediates of the deoxyxylulose phosphate pathway used for terpenoid biosynthesis in plants and many microorganisms. In plants this non-mevalonate pathway is located in plastids. In order to investigate the formation of five carbon intermediates, chromoplasts from Capsicum annuum and Narcissus pseudonarcissus were incubated with isotope-labeled 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate or 2C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate. The downstream metabolites were detected and separated by reversed-phase ion-pair radio-HPLC and their structures elucidated by mass spectroscopy. Here we report the isolation and structural identification of 4-diphosphocytidyl-2C-methyl-D-erythritol and 2C-methyl-D-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate from chromoplasts; the genes of the corresponding enzymes had been previously identified from Escherichia coli and Arabidopsis.     

多效唑对水仙生长发育的影响

为提高水仙的观赏价值,探讨复合多效唑对水仙生长发育的影响,用不同的多效唑溶液对水仙鳞茎进行处理。结果表明:多效唑能抑制水仙的营养生长,使植株矮化粗壮,叶片碧绿、挺拔,不易倒伏,根白、短而壮;复合多效唑配方使平均叶长减少37.7%,花期延长2d,花朵直径增加18.3%,延缓黄化叶片的出现,减慢叶肉薄壁细胞及其中叶绿体的解体,在后期维管束的结构相对完整,有效提高观赏价值。     

Development-specific association of amyloplasts with microtubules in scale cells of Narcissus tazetta

Summary. Narcissus tazetta is one of the major geophyte crops worldwide, but little is known about its cell biology. The narcissus storage organ was studied by monitoring scale cell biology during the growth stage and dormancy, and it was found that amyloplasts gradually increased in size and reached a maximum at dormancy. In parallel, microtubules changed their organisation: during the growth phase (February to March) they were oblique; during April and May, microtubules formed a network with round “holes”; by late June and the beginning of July, when dormancy started, they were organised in parallel arrays. The holes formed in the microtubule array corresponded to amyloplasts. A closer look showed that during a short time window, while the plants were preparing for dormancy, the microtubules surrounded the amyloplasts. In vitro reconfirmation of this phenomenon was obtained when fluorescent bovine brain microtubules enwrapped isolated amyloplasts that had been purified between April and July but not those purified between January and March. Interestingly, protease treatment of amyloplasts did not completely prevent binding of microtubules, which suggests the existence of a protease-resistant factor that docks microtubules to the outer membrane of amyloplasts. Correspondence and reprints: Department of Ornamental Horticulture, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel.