Floral features, pollination biology and breeding system of Chloraea membranacea Lindl. (Orchidaceae: Chloraeinae)

Abstract

Chloraea membrancea is pollinated by deceit. Together, self-compatibility, pollinarium texture, pollinator abundance and behaviour may account for the observed high fruiting success. It is suggested that a reappraisal and re-analysis of important flower features in Chloraeinae orchids is necessary.

Weak trophic links between a crab-spider and the effective pollinators of a rewardless orchid

“…and Gavilea spp. (Orchidaceae, Chloraeinae), ranging between 12 and 90% (Lehnebach and Riveros, 2003;Humaña et al, 2008;Valdivia et al, 2010;Sanguinetti et al, 2012;Sanguinetti and Singer, 2014). As previously concluded, we believe the difference in reproductive success among these orchid species directly relates not only to the availability and abundance of insect pollinators but also to flower morphology (Sanguinetti et al, 2012;Sanguinetti and Singer, 2014).…”

“…(Orchidaceae, Chloraeinae), ranging between 12 and 90% (Lehnebach and Riveros, 2003;Humaña et al, 2008;Valdivia et al, 2010;Sanguinetti et al, 2012;Sanguinetti and Singer, 2014). As previously concluded, we believe the difference in reproductive success among these orchid species directly relates not only to the availability and abundance of insect pollinators but also to flower morphology (Sanguinetti et al, 2012;Sanguinetti and Singer, 2014). Low fruiting success has been associated with species with more "open" flowers (i.e., flowers with a larger distance between the column and the labellum) such as the case of Chloraea crispa and Chloraea lamellata (12e15.6%) versus Chloraea galeata and Chloraea chrysantha (>80%) (Humaña et al, 2008).…”

“…A smaller flower cavity allows even smaller size bees, flies and beetles to act as effective pollinators, increasing the probability of a high fruiting success (e.g. Humaña et al, 2008;Sanguinetti et al, 2012). In the case of the open flowers of C. alpina, the most common flower visitors were too small to dislodge a pollinium, even when present in larger numbers (i.e.…”

“…Orchids are a good model on which to explore these assumptions given that pollen is packed inside pollinia (Johnson and Edwards, 2000), making it easy to detect effective pollinators from floral visitors and track pollen movements within and between individual flowers and plants. The pollination biology of only a handful of Patagonian Chloraea species had been well studied (Clayton and Aizen, 1996;Lehnebach and Riveros, 2003;Humaña et al, 2008;Sanguinetti et al, 2012;Sanguinetti and Singer, 2014), but most work has focused on their breeding systems and fruiting success, with little emphasis on pollinator diversity and behavior. Given that C. alpina, as all Chloraea spp.…”

Evidence for the Dual Role of Floral Secretory Cells in Bulbophyllum

“…Racemosae were cuticular pores similar to those described for the osmophores of Restrepia Kunth (Pleurothallidinae; Pridgeon and Stern, 1983), and micro-channels as found in the osmophores of Stanhopea (Curry et al, 1991) and Chloraea membranacea Lindl. (Chloraeinae; Sanguinetti et al, 2012). In B. lilacinum, a layer of osmiophilic material lined the tonoplast, as occurs both in the osmophore vacuoles of Restrepia and the vacuolate plastids of Scaphosepalum Pfitzer Stern, 1983, 1985).…”