Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T17:56:07.921Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Selfing and pollen allocation in some Asteraceae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

C. C. Heyn
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
S. Snir
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
Get access

Synopsis

Senecio vernalis and Calendula arvensis (Asteraceae) are two annuals which grow together in mixed populations and flower in Israel soon after the first winter rains. They were found to be potential selfers, without a self-incompatibility system. The average pollen production per floret and per flowering head was compared with the percentage of pollen with a known function or allocation: pollen grains deposited on stigmas, grains remaining in wilted florets, and non-viable pollen—overall totals of 24% in S. vernalis, 36% in C. arvensis. The remaining pollen (76% & 64%) is distributed according to fluctuating ecological factors, biotic (insects, etc.) and abiotic (rain, wind etc.). The outbreeding potential was assessed by study of the flowering phenology of florets and heads and the behaviour of pollinating insects, mainly flies. Considerable differences were found between the two species in most parameters. In both, especially C. arvensis, the probability of foreign pollen (i.e. pollen not from the same head) reaching the stigmas is very small. Pollenovule ratios for heads were found to be comparatively higher than those recorded for flowers with a similar rate of outbreeding. The efficiency of pollen transfer in the capitulum of the Asteraceae and the large investment in pollen are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1986

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Burtt, B. 1977. Aspects of diversification in the capitulum. In The Biology and Chemistry of the Compositae, eds Heywood, V. H. et al. , pp. 4159. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Clay, K. 1982. Environmental and genetic determinants of cleistogamy in a natural population of the grass Danthonia spicata. Evolution 36, 734741.Google Scholar
Corbet, S. A., Cuthill, I., Fallows, M., Harrison, T. & Hartley, G. 1981. Why do nectar foraging bees and wasps work upward? Oecologia 51, 7983.Google Scholar
Cruden, R. W., 1976. Fecundity as a function of nectar production and pollen-ovule ratios. In Tropical trees, variation, breeding and conservation, eds Burley, J. & Styles, B. T. [Linnean Society Symposium, Ser. 2], pp. 171178. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Cruden, R. W., 1977. Pollen-ovule ratios: a conservative indicator of breeding systems in flowering plants. Evolution 31, 3246.Google Scholar
Cruden, R. W., & Miller-Ward, S. 1981. Pollen-ovule ratio, pollen size and the ratio of stigmatic area to the pollenbearing area of the pollinator: an hypothesis. Evolution 35, 964974.Google Scholar
Dulberger, R. 1981, The floral biology of Cassia didymobotrya and C. auriculata (Caesalpiniaceae). American Journal of Botany 68, 13501360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eisikowitch, D. 1973. Mode of pollination as a consequence of ecological factors. In Taxonomy and Ecology, ed. Heywood, V. H., pp. 283288. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Evenson, W. E. 1983. Experimental studies of reproductive energy allocation in plants. In Handbook of Experimental Pollination Biology, eds Jones, C. E. & Little, R. J., pp. 249274. New York: Scientific and Academic Editions.Google Scholar
Faegri, K. & van der Pijl, L. 1979. The Principles of Pollination Ecology, 3rd edn. Oxford: Pergamon Press.Google Scholar
Feinbrun-Dothan, N. 1978. Flora Palaestina, Part 3. Jerusalem: The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.Google Scholar
Gibbs, P. E., Milne, C. & Vargas-Carrillo, M. 1975. Correlation between the breeding system and recombination index in five species of Senecio. New Phytologisl 75, 619626.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heslop-Harrison, Y. & Shivanna, K. R. 1977. The receptive surface of the angiosperm stigma. Annals of Botany 41, 12331258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heyn, C. C. & Joel, A. 1983. Reproductive relationships between annual species of Calendula (Compositae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 143, 311329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hull, C. H. & Nie, N. H. 1981. SPSS- Update 7–9. New Procedure and facilities for releases 7–9. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Joel, A. 1978. Relationships between the annual Calendula species. MSc. thesis, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem [in Hebrew].Google Scholar
Kevan, P. G. & Baker, H. G. 1983. Insects as flower visitors and pollinators. Annual Review of Entomology 28, 407453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knoll, F. 1956. Die Biologie der Blüte. Berlin: Springer.Google Scholar
Levin, D. A., Kerster, H. W. & Niedzlek, , 1971. Pollination flight directionality and its effect on pollen flow. Evolution 25, 113118.Google Scholar
Lloyd, D. G. 1979. Parental strategies of angiosperms. New Zealand Journal of Botany 17, 595606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nie, N. H., Hull, C. H., Jenkins, J. G., Steinbrenner, K. & Bent, D. H. 1975. SPSS—Statistical package for the social sciences, 2nd edn. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Nordenstam, B. 1977. Senecioneae and Liabeae—systematic review. In The Biology and Chemistry of the Compositae, eds Heywood, V. H. et al. , pp. 799830. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Nordlindh, T. 1977. Calenduleae—systematic review. In The Biology and Chemistry of the Compositae, eds Heywood, V. H. et al. , pp. 961987. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Pandey, K. K. 1960. Evolution of gametophytic and sporophytic systems of self incompatibility in angiosperms. Evolution 14, 98115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Plitmann, U. & Levin, D. A. 1983. Pollen-pistil relationships in the Polemoniaceae. Evolution 37, 957967.Google Scholar
Robinson, H. 1984. Style rotation in the Asteraceae. Taxon 33, 400404.Google Scholar
Schemske, D. W., Willson, M. F., Melampy, N. N., Miller, L. J., Verner, L., Schemske, K. M. & Best, L. B. 1978. Flowering ecology of some spring woodland herbs. Ecology 59, 351366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Skvarla, J. J., Turner, B. L., Patel, V. C. & Tomb, A. S. 1977. Pollen morphology in the Compositae and in morphologically related families. In The Biology and Chemistry of the Compositae, eds Heywood, V. H. et al. , pp. 141248. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Smith, N. M. & McCully, M. E. 1978. A critical evaluation of the specificity of anilin blue induced fluorescence. Protoplasma 95, 229254.Google Scholar
Snir, S., 1984. Pollen production and allocation in Calendula arvensis L. and Senecio vernalis Waldst. & Kit. M.Sc. thesis, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem [in Hebrew].Google Scholar
Snir, S., & Heyn, C. C. Fly pollination in two sympatric species from the Astcraceae (in prep.).Google Scholar
Spira, T. P. 1980. Floral parameters, breeding system and pollinator type in Trichostema (Labiatae). American Journal of Botany 67, 278284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waller, D. M. 1980. Environmental determinants of outcrossing in Impatiens capensis (Balsaminaceae). Evolution 34, 747761.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willson, M. F. 1983. Plant Reproductive Ecology. New York: John Wiley.Google Scholar
Wyatt, R. 1984. Evolution of self-pollination in granite outcrop species of Arenaria (Caryophyllaccae). III Reproductive effort and pollen-ovule ratios. Systematic Botany 9, 432440.Google Scholar