Floral thermogenesis of three species of Hydnora (Hydnoraceae) in Africa

Abstract

The exceptionally low thermogenesis in Hydnora appears to be associated with scent production and possibly gynoecial development, but has little direct benefit to beetle pollinators.

A New Species of Hydnora (Hydnoraceae) from Southern Africa

“…No diagnostically useful characters were observed among the fruit, seeds, pollen or rhizomes of Euhydnora. Molecular data from an unpublished thesis (Bolin 2009) using ITS and the plastid encoded region rpoB support the recognition of H. visseri as a monophyletic group that will be presented separately by the authors in a forthcoming phylogeny of the Hydnoraceae.…”

“…During our intensive fleld studies of the biology and ecology o{ Hydnora in southern Africa spanning the decade (Maass and Musselman 2004;Tennakoon et al 2007;Bolin et al 2009a;Bolin et al 2009b;Seymour et al 2009) it became clear that a segregate of H. africana sensu lato warranted recognition based on differences in morphology, phenology, distribution. Although there is some range overlap in most of the floral measurements, tepal lobe length can confidently discriminate among the three taxa.…”

Scaling of heat production by thermogenic flowers: limits to floral size and maximum rate of respiration

“…2004; Thien et al . 2009; Seymour, Maass & Bolin 2009b). This study involves measurements from 23 species of thermogenic plant with all three floral types, including Araceae (15 species), Nelumbonaceae (one species), Nymphaeaceae (two species), Magnoliaceae (one species), Hydnoraceae (two species), Cycadaceae (one species) and Zamiaceae (one species).…”

Hydnora: The strangest plant in the world?

“…The pollination syndrome of Hydnora is classified as brood‐site mimicry with imprisonment (Bolin, Maass, & Musselman, ). The peculiar flowers (Figure ) attract insect pollinators (such as beetles) with a fetid smell, and possibly with slight heat production (Seymour, Maass, & Bolin, ), and temporarily imprison them in a floral chamber. Unusual tooth‐like “bait bodies” (Figure b)—fetid bodies along the perianth lobe margins—are attractive to beetles in H. africana and H. visseri .…”