Differential gender selection on flower size in two Neotropical savanna congeneric species

Teixido, Alberto L.; Dayrell, Roberta L. C.; Arruda, André Jardim; Azevedo, Luísa O.; Junqueira, Patrícia A.; Messeder, João Vitor S.; Silveira, Fernando A. O.

doi:10.1007/s11258-017-0780-4

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The retention of pollinated and reward‐free flowers in K. regalis is noteworthy considering the high rates of corolla water loss in this species (0.29 g H 2 O flower −1 h −1 ), which generally exceed corolla transpiration rates of large‐flowered species across hot and dry ecosystems (Teixido et al . ). Moreover, a prolonged floral longevity may significantly increase the risk of incidence of florivores (Teixido et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…We then deposited outcross pollen on the stigma after 09:00 h to ensure stigmatic receptivity (Oliveira & Sazima ) by direct contact of anthers through circular movements until the stigmatic area was fully covered (Teixido et al . ). Capping was conducted early in the morning, before flowers received any pollinator visit, so no pollen was deposited on the stigma.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…However, recent findings based on the high pollen limitation level (Teixido et al . ) led us to consider that K. regalis is mostly xenogamous and self‐incompatible, similar to K. coriacea and K. speciosa (Oliveira & Sazima ). Barely 10% of flowers set mature, three‐valved fruits, which become fully developed 6 months after flowering, releasing about 25 seeds ca.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reproductive success of this species is strongly limited by pollen, and flowering entails elevated maintenance costs through corolla transpiration (Teixido et al . ). During the monitoring of that previous study we also observed that flowers last 3 or 4 days fully open with no visible colour change before wilting, but only recently‐opened flowers were apparently receptive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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One for all and all for one: retention of colour‐unchanged old flowers increases pollinator attraction in a hermaphroditic plant

et al. 2018

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Long-lived flowers increase pollen transfer rates, but these entail high water and carbon maintenance costs. The retention of pollinated and reward-free old flowers enhances pollinator visitation to young receptive flowers by increasing floral display size. This mechanism is associated with acropetal inflorescences or changes in flower colour and openness, but the retention of unchanging solitary flowers remains overlooked. We examined pollination-dependent variation in floral longevity and determined stigmatic receptivity, pollen viability and pollen removal rates among flower ages in Kielmeyera regalis, a Neotropical savanna shrub. We also evaluated the effects of floral display size on pollinator visitation rates. Lastly, we determined whether old flowers are unvisited and exclusively increase pollinator attraction to young flowers through flower removal experiments. Regardless of pollination treatment, flowers lasted fully open with no detectable physical changes for 3 days. Over time, stigmas remained receptive but >95% of pollen was removed. Pollinator visitation significantly increased with floral display size and intermediate percentages (15-30%) of newly opened flowers. Accordingly, the retention of reward-free and unvisited old flowers increased young flower-pollinator interaction. Our results reveal the importance of a prolonged floral longevity in increasing pollinator attraction toward newly opened receptive flowers without changes in flower colour and form. We conclude that the retention of pollinated, reward-free and unvisited colour-unchanged old flowers in K. regalis is a strategy that counteracts the water use costs associated with the maintenance of large flowers with increased mate opportunities in a pollen-limited scenario.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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One for all and all for one: retention of colour‐unchanged old flowers increases pollinator attraction in a hermaphroditic plant

et al. 2018

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“…Given that there is a negative relationship between the number of removed pollen grains and pollen limitation in flowers with poricidal anthers [74], we used the mean difference between the number of viable pollen grains of floral buds and the number of viable pollen grains that remained in 2-day old flowers as a proxy of the mean percentage of pollen removed per plant and, ultimately, as an indirect estimate of male reproductive success. The amount of removed pollen represents a useful indirect measure to disentangle the mechanisms, strength, and direction of phenotypic selection through male function [75][76][77]. Male reproductive success was estimated for both AP and AS stamens because in heterantherous buzz-pollinated flowers of Melastomataceae both stamen sets are potentially under different selective pressures, i.e., pollen grains contributing to either food for bee larvae or the pollination process.…”

Section: Phenotypic Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bee-Mediated Selection Favors Floral Sex Specialization in a Heterantherous Species: Strategies to Solve the Pollen Dilemma

Oliveira

Teixido

Trevizan

et al. 2020

Plants

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Animal-pollinated plants show a broad variation in floral morphology traits and gametophyte production within populations. Thus, floral traits related to plant reproduction and sexuality are usually exposed to pollinator-mediated selection. Such selective pressures may be even stronger in heterantherous and pollen flowers, in which pollen contributes to both bee feeding and pollination, overcoming the “pollen dilemma” or the inability to perform both functions simultaneously. We describe the phenotypic gender and sexual organ morphology of flowers in two populations of Macairea radula (Melastomataceae), a heterantherous and buzz-pollinated species with pollen flowers. We estimated selection gradients on these traits through female and male fitness components. Both populations showed sizeable phenotypic gender variation, from strict hermaphrodites to increased femaleness or maleness. We found a continuous variation in style and stamen size, and this variation was correlated with corresponding shape values of both sexual organs. We detected bee-mediated selection towards short and long styles through seed number and towards intermediate degrees of heteranthery through pollen removal in one population, and selection towards increased maleness through pollen dispersal in both populations. Our results suggest that bee-mediated selection favors floral sex specialization and stylar dimorphism in M. radula, optimizing reproductive success and solving the pollen dilemma.

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Influences of elevational gradient on flower size and number of Gentiana lawrencei var. farreri

Wang,

Yang

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Plants can adapt to environmental changes by adjusting their functional traits and biomass allocation. The size and number of flowers are functional traits related to plant reproduction. Life history theory predicts that there is a trade‐off between flower size and number, and the trade‐off can potentially explain the adaptability of plants. Elevation gradients in mountains provide a unique opportunity to test how plants will respond to climate change. In this study, we tried to better explain the adaptability of the alpine plant Gentiana lawrencei var. farreri in response to climate change. We measured the flower size and number, individual size, and reproductive allocation of G. lawrencei var. farreri during the flowering period along an elevation gradient from 3200 to 4000 m, and explored their relationships using linear mixed‐effect models and the structural equation model. We found that with elevation increasing, individual size and flower number decreased and flower size increased, while reproductive allocation remained unchanged. Individual size positively affected flower number, but was not related to flower size; reproductive allocation positively affected flower size, but was not related to flower number; there is a clear trade‐off between flower size and number. We also found that elevation decreased flower number indirectly via directly reducing individual size. In sum, this study suggests that G. lawrencei var. farreri can adapt to alpine environments by the synergies or trade‐offs among individual size, reproductive allocation, flower size, and flower number. This study increases our understanding of the adaptation mechanisms of alpine plants to climate change in alpine environments.

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Differential gender selection on flower size in two Neotropical savanna congeneric species

Cited by 6 publications

References 45 publications

One for all and all for one: retention of colour‐unchanged old flowers increases pollinator attraction in a hermaphroditic plant

One for all and all for one: retention of colour‐unchanged old flowers increases pollinator attraction in a hermaphroditic plant

Bee-Mediated Selection Favors Floral Sex Specialization in a Heterantherous Species: Strategies to Solve the Pollen Dilemma

Influences of elevational gradient on flower size and number of Gentiana lawrencei var. farreri

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