SLIDE 1
Pollination in Palms
Among the most studied groups From wind-pollination to insect-pollination
(reviewed by Henderson 1986, Badfor et al. 2011)
Pollination systems in Palms
(from Badfor et al. 2011)
Reassessing the pollination mechanisms in the neotropical dioecious - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Reassessing the pollination mechanisms in the neotropical dioecious - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Reassessing the pollination mechanisms in the neotropical dioecious palm genus Chamaedorea Alfredo Cascante-Marn, Luis D. Ros, Eric J. Fuchs Universidad de Costa Rica, Escuela de Biologa Pollination in Palms Among the most studied groups
SLIDE 2
SLIDE 3
Chamaedorea (95-100 spp.)
. Neotropical & dioecious . Highly ornamental . Few pollination studies
Wind (3 spp.)
Images from D.R. Hodel (1992). Chamaedorea palms.
Listabarth 1992 Otero-Arnaiz & Oyama 2001 Berry & Gorchov 2004
Insects (4 spp.)
Morgan 2007
SLIDE 4
Great variation in floral morphology within Chamaedorea
Pendant-erect Few-many rachillae Short-long peduncle
Inflorescence level Flower level
Scented or not Bright-dull color Powdery pollen Exposed-inserted stigma and anthers
Images from D.R. Hodel (1992). Chamaedorea palms.
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Pollination systems in Chamaedora palms
Our assumption Wind- pollination Insect- pollination
Most species here !
*
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Chamaedorea costaricana Chamaedorea macrospadix
Cascante 2009 Tropicos (Mobot) Cascante 2009
Chamaedorea tepejilote
Tropicos (Mobot) Tropicos (Mobot) Tropicos (Mobot) Cascante 2009 Cascante 2009
Chamaedorea pinnatifrons
SLIDE 7
Study sites
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Pollination experiments
Insect exclusion
(wind allowed)
Natural pollination
(wind + insects)
Apomixis
SLIDE 9
Fruit Set from Pollination Experiments
Natural (wind & insects) Insect-exclusion Apomixis
2011 2005 2011 and 2012
*
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Insect visitors to Chamaedorea inflorescences
- not observed, + occasionally, ++ frequent, +++ very frequent
- +
- +
- +
Plebeia flavoscutellata
- +
- Partamona orizabaensis
- +
- Trigonisca buysonii
- +
- ++
- +
Trigona fulviventris Apidae Hymenoptera
- +
- Staphylinidae
- +
- Ptylodactylidae
+ ++
- Cryptophagidae
+ ++
- Demotispa sp.
+ ++
- Tetragonotes sp.
Chrysomelidae Coleoptera ++ +++ + +++ ++ +++ +++ +++ Brooksithrips chamaedoreae Thripidae Thysanoptera P E P E P E P E Species Family pinnatifrons macrospadix costaricana tepejilote Order
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The pollinators: thrips
Thrips (Order Thysanoptera)
(scale bar = 10 mm)
Staminate inflorescence Female inflorescence
Chamaedorea tepejilote
SLIDE 12
Pollination by deception in Chamaedorea palms
Brood site
Staminate inflorescence Pistillate inflorescence
Inmature thrips
SLIDE 13
Corroborating Pollination by Wind
El Rodeo La Carpintera Traps for air-borne pollen
Pollen grains per trap El Rodeo: 86 (± 11 s.d.) La Carpintera: 16 (± 4 s.d.)
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Which is the prevalent pollination mode?
Wind, insects or both?
. 52 species . 18 traits from inflorescence and flowers (presence/absence) . Clustering: Unweighted Pair Group Method
(WPGMA)
. Trait selection: Similarities Percentage Analysis (SIMPER)
*
SLIDE 15
Chamaedorea groups based on floral trait similarities
anemophily entomophily
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Conclusions
- 2. Thrips represents a novel pollination system in
palms (It deserves to be separated from other types)
- 1. Most Chamaedorea palms are functionally ambophilic.
(also documented in Attalea speciosa and Cocos nucifera)
- 3. Pollination systems of tropical dioecious species
are more complex (eg. Thrips in Moraceae)
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This project was supported by: Thanks to:
- D. R. Hodel (University of California)
- L. Mound (CSIRO, thrips identification)