Frugivory on Margaritaria nobilis L.f. (Euphorbiaceae): poor investment and mimetism

Abstract

-(Frugivory on Margaritaria nobilis L.f. (Euphorbiaceae): poor investment and mimetism). Dehiscent fruits of Euphorbiaceae usually have two stages of seed dispersal, autochory followed by myrmecochory. Two stages of Margaritaria nobilis seed dispersal were described, the first stage autochoric followed by ornithocoric. Their dehiscent fruits are green and after they detached from the tree crown and fall on the ground, they open and expose blue metallic cocas. We studied the seed dispersal system of Margaritaria nobilis in a semi-deciduous forest in Brazil. In 80 h of focal observations, we recorded only 12 visits of frugivores, however the thrush Turdus leucomelas was the only frugivore that swallowed the fruits on the tree crown. Pitylus fuliginosus (Fringilidae) and Pionus maximiliani (Psittacidae) were mainly pulp eaters, dropping the seeds below the tree. On the forest floor, after fruits dehiscence, jays (Cyanocorax chrysops), guans (Penelope superciliaris), doves (Geotrygon montana) and collared-peccaries (Pecari tajacu) were observed eating the blue diaspores of M. nobilis. Experiments in captivity showed that scaly-headed parrots (Pionus maximiliani), toco toucans (Ramphastos toco), jays (Cyanochorax chrysops), and guans (Penelope superciliaris) consumed the fruits and did not prey on the seeds before consumption. The seeds collected from the feces did not germinate in spite of the high viability. The two stages of seed dispersal in M. nobilis resembles the dispersal strategies of some mimetic species. However M. nobilis seeds are associated with an endocarp, it showed low investment in nutrients, and consistent with this hypothesis, M. nobilis shared important characteristics with mimetic fruits, such as bright color display, long seed dormancy and protection by secondary compounds.Key words -Euphorbiaceae, frugivory, mimetic fruits, seed dispersal, secondary compounds RESUMO -(Frugivoria em Margaritaria nobilis L.f. (Euphorbiaceae): pouco investimento em recursos e mimetismo).Frutos deiscentes de Euphobiaceae usualmente apresentam dois estágios de dispersão de sementes, sendo autocórico seguido por mirmecocórico. Dois estágios de dispersão de sementes de Margaritaria nobilis foram descritos, sendo o primeiro autocórico seguido por ornitocórico. Os frutos deiscentes desta espécie são verdes e quando caem da copa para o solo, abrem e expõe as cocas azuis metálicas. O sistema de dispersão de sementes de Margaritaria nobilis foi estudado em uma floresta semi-decídua no Brasil. Em 80 horas de observações focais, registram-se apenas 12 visitas de frugívoros, no entanto o sabiá Turdus leucomelas foi o único frugívoro que ingeriu os frutos na copa da árvore. Pitylus fuliginosos (Fringilidae) e Pionus maximiliani (Psittacidae) são principalmente consumidores de polpa, derrubando as sementes abaixo das árvores. No chão da floresta, após a deiscência dos frutos, gralhas (Cyanocorax chrysops), jacus (Penelope superciliaris), pombas (Geotrygon montana) e catetos (Pecari tajacu) foram observados consumindo ...

Reproductive ecology of Ocotea catharinensis, an endangered tree species

“…Carpornis cucullata was recorded feeding on fruits from 45 species (Francisco & Galetti 2002), while S. maculirostris was recorded feeding on fruits from at least 40 species (Galetti et al 2000). Geotrygon montana feeds on fruits from Euterpe edulis (Arecaceae; Galetti et al 2015) and Margaritaria nobilis (Euphorbiaceae; Cazetta et al 2008).…”

Bio‐Inspired Band‐Gap Tunable Elastic Optical Multilayer Fibers

“…The plant partly relies on seed dispersal by birds which might be attracted by the colorful display 25, 26. The cells in the fruit's blue seed coat are elongated and mostly appear blue or green (Figure 1a,b).…”

Structural colour from helicoidal cell-wall architecture in fruits ofMargaritaria nobilis

“…The entire structure is enclosed in a pericarp that consists of two layers: an outer papery exocarp that dehisces at fruit maturity (clearly visible in figure 1 of [19]) and an endocarp consisting of three or four layers of thick-walled cells (figure 2 a–c ). The endocarp is about 1 mm thick, and the average thickness of the cell wall is about 10–15 µm.…”

“…In this species, the fruits possess a green exocarp, which splits after they become detached and fall to the forest floor [19,20]. The remaining exposed inner part of the fruit wall exhibits a metallic greenish-blue colour, particularly in humid environments, that is attractive to birds such as jays and doves [19]. These birds consume the fruits and hence act as dispersal agents.…”