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Floral Attraction and Floral Hairs in the Commelinaceae

Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden1992Vol. 79(1), pp. 46–46

Citations Over TimeTop 14% of 1992 papers

Abstract

Commelinace with poricidal anthers is the most specialized pollination system reported.From a distance, inflorescences and associated structures may attract pollinators visually.At close range, the corolla is almost always showy, and sometimes the calyx is also conspicuous.The androecium is attractive because it produces pollen, the only reward supplied by the flower.Yellow, nearly pollenless anthers, antherodes, hairs, and broad connectives may deceptively attract msects. chemicallyuncommon in the family are largely confined to the androecium and occur widely in the family.Their function may include attracting insects to the flowers (either toward or away from the main source of pollen), providing footholds, retaining fallen pollen and determining how insects behave on the flower, including how they collect pollen.â€ n n CommelinaceaePollination of Commelinaceae monocots consisting of 40 genera and approximately 640 species (Faden & Hunt, 1991).The Commelinaceae flowers are chiefly entomophitwo outstanding features of Commelinaceae flowers lous or autogamous.The main insect visitors are that afi'ect their reproductive biology are the lack social and solitary bees and syrphid flies.Additional tmies Commelinace hours, always less than a day).The lack of nectar flowers include other Diptera, various families of has two important consequences: (1) the flowers Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Homoptera, Orthoptera, rarely attract whole classes of poUinators, notably Thysanoptera, and occasional ants (Hymenoptera: butterflies, moths, birds, and bats; and (2) the pollen Formicidae) (Faden, unpublished).Rare butterfly must serve two functions, poUination and rewarding visits have been recorded (Knuth, 1909: 476; the poUinator.The short anthesis limits certain Schuster & Schuster, 1971), although!have never reproductive strategies, such as the temporal sep-observed any.In addition to bees and syrphid flies, aration or sequential development of the male and potential pollinators include bee flies (Bombyliidae) female sexual organs or functions in the flower.and some beetles (Melyridae, Buprestidae, Mor-The purpose of this paper is to present and deUidae, and possibly other famihes).discuss two aspects of floral biology within the The flowers of Commelinaceae species that have Commelmaceae: how plants attract poUinators, both been studied in some detail are recorded as being visually and with floral scents, and the possible visited by a variety of insects At the low end is reproductive functions of floral hairs.The Uterature Tmantia anomala (Torrey) C. B. Clarke, from on floral biology in the family is limited, so much which only four bee species plus unidentified syrof what will be presented is anecdotal or inferential.phid flies were noted (Simpson et al., 1986).At It IS hoped that brmging together what is known the other extreme are Tripogandra serrulata (Vahl) will stimulate further research on pollination and Handlos, on which no fewer than 14 species of floral biology m Commelinaceae.bees, six of syrphid flies, and six of other insect H.hl fn?K â€¢ u f '"u"^ ^t ^: ^-ThÂ°'^P^Â°'^ fÂ°^ uÂ«Â«ful discussions about bees and syrphid flies, respectively; K-ITJZ^Z'2.H "":rr? ?r^r'" ^^Â°"" ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^Â« botanic C^den of the University of veTrs F^!uwlrkTn^T^^ ' A. J. Faden formaintaining my collections of cultivated Commelinaceae for many IZorted irNatL Jst-I ^^*^^."Â»Â°f;"^ '^^ observations on poUination in Aneilema species were made, was supported by National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant No. GB 40817 U.S.a!'" '' '"Â°"'' ''^"""^

Citations Over TimeTop 14% of 1992 papers

Abstract

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