Floral epidermal structure and flower orientation: getting to grips with awkward flowers

Abstract

This is a copy of the author's accepted version of this manuscript, and the definitive published version in Arthropod-Plant Interactions may have changed slightly in response to editing. This version is made available on the University of Bristol's repository, complying with Springer's policy on self-archiving (7 th April 2008). The original article, with full details of citation, is available at springerlink.com, at http://www.springerlink.com/content/v81t25t4421126n2/ .-2 - AbstractThe petal epidermis has been found to be important in mediating flower-pollinator interactions. Structures produced on the petal surface, in particular cone-shaped papillate (or conical) cells, have been shown to enhance bumblebee preference for flowers. One reason for this increase in preference is that the conical cells facilitate efficient handling of flowers. This is particularly clear when flower architecture requires bees to land on a vertical surface. We therefore tested the hypothesis that flowers that are held vertically show a greater tendency to produce conical cells. Analysis of 183 species finds that there is no significant relationship between the structures on the petal surface and flower orientation. We discuss the multifunctional properties of conical cells and other floral surface structures that may mean that other factors are of equal or greater importance in the relationship between pollinators and petal epidermal form.

Petal micromorphology and its relationship to pollination

“…; Rands et al . ). The petal–insect interactions have important ecological and evolutionary implications, as insect leg structure is closely related to epidermal surface characteristics, providing landing and locomotion safety on the petals (Whitney & Federle ).…”

“…; Rands et al . ; Alcorn et al ). Christensen & Hansen (1988) found conical cells in all of the melittophilous flowers they analysed.…”

PeERF1, a SHINE-Like Transcription Factor, Is Involved in Nanoridge Development on Lip Epidermis of Phalaenopsis Flowers

“…In this study, we examined the floral epidermal cell surfaces of Phalaenopsis species (Figure 1; Supplementary Figure S1); the tissues of sepals and petals had a papillae shape with a protuberance on the smooth epidermal surface, whereas the lip harbored numerous nanoridges on the epidermal surface. The biological function of nanoridges on the floral organs for pollinator attraction has been linked with the unique visual and tactile signals they produce (Whitney et al, 2009;Prüm et al, 2011;Rands et al, 2011;Whitney et al, 2011b;Prüm et al, 2012;Kourounioti et al, 2013;Prüm et al, 2013;Adachi et al, 2015;Moyroud et al, 2017).…”

“…Moreover, in many plants, sepal and petal epidermal cells are covered with various density and orientation of nanoridges (Jeffree, 2006). These structures on the surface of sepal and petal epidermal cells are believed to attract pollinators and enhance pollination success through visual signals (Whitney et al, 2009;Whitney et al, 2011b;Kourounioti et al, 2013;Moyroud et al, 2017) and act as tactile signals affecting pollinator movement (Prüm et al, 2011;Rands et al, 2011;Prüm et al, 2012;Prüm et al, 2013;Adachi et al, 2015). Moreover, cell surface cuticle structures can strengthen cells and thereby function many ways in plant development as well as survival and defense in unfavorable environments, such as under biotic or abiotic stress (e.g., dehydration, pathogens, UV light, frost, and insect attacks) (Koch et al, 2008;Koch et al, 2009a;Koch et al, 2009b).…”

Implications of floral orientation for flight kinematics and metabolic expenditure of hover‐feeding hummingbirds

“…However, downward‐facing flowers have been subsequently documented in a number of insect‐pollinated plants (Ushimaru & Hyodo ; Ushimaru, Kawase & Imamura ; Ushimaru et al . ; Rands, Glover & Whitney ). Nevertheless, the prevalence of insect pollination of pendent flowers in different geographical regions is substantially lower than that of hummingbird pollination (Aizen ).…”