Flowering Phenology and Reproductive Success of the Orchids of Mt Cameroon in Relation to a Changing Environment

Abstract

A b s t r a c t A r t i c l e I n f oA study was conducted in the Mount Cameroon Region from January 2013 to December 2015 on the reproductive biology of orchids. Sixty-nine species of orchids were collected and identified and their flowering times noted. Observations on the flowering phenology of the collected species suggests that most of the orchids flowered during the months of February, March, April, August and September when the rains are intense. Visitors and their rates of visitation of Ansellia africana, Bletilla striata, Bulbophyllum lupulinum, Liparis epiphytica and Polystachya laxiflora were also studied through a "sit and watch" approach. The number of visits varied significantly with the type of visitor. Ants were the only visitor to all 5 orchid species. There was a strong positive correlation between reproductive success and total number of fruits but a weaker correlation between reproductive success and total number of flowers. The species with the highest success rate was Habenaria procera (86.44%), while that with the least success rate was Listrostachys pertusa (01.68%). The reproductive life cycle of orchids from flowering to dehiscence takes approximately 4 months (flowering ± 30 days; fruiting ± 30 and dehiscence (maturing of fruits to busting of capsules) ±50 days. Polystachya laxiflora flowered all year round.Fruiting and dehiscence showed no significant trends in all species of orchids. Both factors were dependent on flowering times or respective species. Temperature, rainfall and relative humidity had no significant influence on fruiting and dehiscence of capsules but were important in flowering. The changing climate could therefore significantly sift phenological patterns of the species.

Fenología y efecto de la intensidad de luz en la germinación in vitro de Masdevallia solomonii (Orchidaceae)

“…Dentro la cámara de flujo laminar las semillas fueron vertidas en el aparato de filtración, donde se enjuagó con agua destilada estéril, seguidamente se colocaron en otro frasco en agua destilada estéril con la finalidad de obtener una solución con semillas. Con una jeringa se colocó 4 ml (la solución con semillas) en cada tubo de ensayo que contenía el medio de cultivo Knudson (1946) y se procedió al sellado del tubo de ensayo (Figura 3), primero con papel aluminio y después con plastifil. Finalmente, los tubos fueron llevados a la cámara de crecimiento, considerando a cada tubo como la unidad experimental.…”