Comparing the reproductive biological characteristics of the alien invasive Coreopsis lanceolata to those of the non‐invasive alien congener Coreopsis tinctoria

Abstract

It is important to determine the characteristics associated with the success of alien species. However, there is no universal syndrome of invasion reproductive characteristics to explain the success of invasiveness has not been identified. Comparative studies on congeneric successful or non‐successful alien species are beneficial for revealing the drivers of invasion success and predicting future distributions. Reproductive biological characteristics, including the mating system, phenology of flowering, floral syndrome, pollination biology and seed germination have been investigated in the invasive Coreopsis lanceolata and non‐successful congener alien species Coreopsis tinctoria. The results revealed that C. lanceolata significantly attracted insect visitors by 11.67 times more than its congener, and the corolla density of C. lanceolata was positively correlated with the number of visiting insects. The high attraction of local insect bees Apis cerana guarantees the reproductive success and high seed production of C. lanceolata. Nevertheless, there was no versatile mating system, because its congener non‐successful alien species C. lanceolata still successfully invaded due to the combination strategies of self‐compatibility and presence of rhizomes. Furthermore, the ability of seed germination of C. lanceolata was lower than that of C. tinctoria, especially under drought and Al3+ stress, suggesting that germination performance can serve as a reference indicator. However, this was not an absolute trait for invasiveness. Hence, these germination traits might slow down the invasiveness of C. lanceolata in south China. These present findings highlight that the combination of self‐incompatibility and rhizomes should be given attention in the risk assessment protocols for plant invasiveness.

Floral scent and pollination of the invasive plant Coreopsis lanceolata in Japan

“…Moreover, the results of the present study are in contrast to an earlier study in the introduced range of China, where no species of halictid bees had been observed (Zeng et al 2021). In China, Apis cerana (Apidae family) is the most important visitor of C. lanceolata (Zeng et al 2021).…”

“…Coreopsis lanceolata (Asteraceae) is an herbaceous perennial up to 70 cm in height, which produces a mass of flower heads at densities of approximately 30 capitula per 100 cm 2 (Zeng et al 2021). Each capitulum comprises numerous ray and disk florets arranged into an entire inflorescence resembling a single flower (Fig.…”

“…Additionally, population size and floral density often increase pollinator abundance and per-flower visitation rates in large populations as compared to small ones. The generalized pollination system of C. lanceolata allowed this species to attract various insects to facilitate pollination (Zeng et al 2021). However, when comparing the number of visits and the load capacity for carrying pollen grains, the important pollinators were the halictid bees (Tab.…”

“…For instance, Senecio inaequidens (Asteraceae) has been reported to display self-incompatibility in its native range of South Africa, but several individuals were reported to be partially self-incompatible in the introduced range of France (López-García & Maillet 2005;Lafuma & Maurice 2007). However, recent research conducted on C. lanceolata in the introduced range of China has shown that it maintains self-incompatibility levels similar to those observed in its native range in the United States (Hao et al 2011;Zeng et al 2021). The selfincompatibility level of C. lanceolata in the introduced range of Japan is unknown.…”

Neuroprotective Effects of Coreopsis lanceolata Flower Extract against Oxidative Stress-Induced Apoptosis in Neuronal Cells and Mice

“…It is widely distributed mainly in the Americas and East Asia. In Korea, yellow flowers bloom in May-July [7]. The phytochemical constituents of CL flowers (CLF) have been extensively studied.…”