Gender dimorphism and mycorrhizal symbiosis affect floral visitors and reproductive output in<i>Geranium sylvaticum</i>

Varga, Sandra; Kytöviita, Minna‐Maarit

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2435.2010.01708.x

Cited by 53 publications

(76 citation statements)

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“…This could potentially lead to an increase in visitor attractiveness to the plant. For G. sylvaticum, however, no significant correlation was observed between the number of flowers on a plant and the number of visits received during a 30 min interval (Varga and Kytöviita, 2010). Our data suggest that under natural circumstances, i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 44%

“…Asikainen and Mutikainen (2005b) followed individual syrphids and bumblebees and estimated that on average pollinators preferred hermaphrodites 13% more than females. Varga and Kytöviita (2010) observed that experimental hermaphrodite plants were visited 1.5 times as much as females during 30 minutes trials. However, when bumblebee visits (23% of all visits), which are potentially the most important pollinator group of Geranium (Kandori, 2002) were analyzed separately, no clear preference for either sex was detected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…If visitation rate would be constant over time, a female would receive the same amount of visits with only half the hermaphrodite visitation rate. Since both Varga and Kytöviita (2010) and Asikainen and Mutikainen (2005a) found on average a much smaller difference in visitation rate (respectively, a 13% or 50% higher visitation rate in hermaphrodites), total pollen deposition under natural circumstances could potentially be higher in females, leading to less pollen limitation and higher seed set per fruit. Unfortunately natural pollen deposition numbers are not available for G. sylvaticum.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nectar is produced at the base of the flower (Varga et al, 2015). Flower visitors and potential pollinators include bumblebees and other hymenopterans, syrphid flies and other diptera, and a pre-dispersal seed predator specialist weevil Zacladus geranii (Varga and Kytöviita, 2010;Varga, 2014). When the flower senesces, the petals drop, usually within a short period of time or all at once due to a disturbance (e.g.…”

Section: Plant Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Female flowers are markedly smaller and have lower nectar sugar content than hermaphrodite flowers (Table 1). Also, insect visitation rates have been found to be lower for females (Table 1), although visitation rate by bumblebees may not differ between the sexes (Varga and Kytöviita, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prolonged stigma and flower lifespan in females of the gynodioecious plant Geranium sylvaticum

Elzinga

Varga

2017

Flora

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Please cite this article as: Elzinga, Jelmer A., Varga, Sandra, Prolonged stigma and flower lifespan in females of the gynodioecious plant Geranium sylvaticum.Flora http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.flora. 2016.11.007 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Our results show that stigma lifespan is almost twice as long in females as in hermaphrodites and intermediate plants. Also flower lifespan is longest in females. We discuss the potential mechanisms through which an increased floral lifespan can lead to a female advantage despite the generally lower pollinator visitation rates observed in females by reviewing available studies. Our study shows that increased floral persistence in females can be an important aspect in the maintenance of females in gynodioecious plants and should be taken into account as a potential proximate cause for a female advantage.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 44%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plant Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prolonged stigma and flower lifespan in females of the gynodioecious plant Geranium sylvaticum

Elzinga

Varga

2017

Flora

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Mycorrhizae influence plant vegetative and floral traits and intraspecific trait variation

Burkle

Zabinski

2022

American J of Botany

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Premise: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can strongly influence host plant vegetative growth, but less is known about AMF effects on other plant traits, the relative impacts of AMF on vegetative growth versus floral traits, or AMF-induced intraspecific variation in traits. Methods: In an experimental greenhouse study, we inoculated seven species of wildflowers with six species of AMF in a factorial design. We assessed how the AMF-forb combinations influenced plant survival, vegetative biomass, and floral traits and whether AMF effects on floral traits were similar in magnitude and direction to effects on vegetative biomass. For one forb species, we investigated intraspecific plant trait variation within and across AMF treatments. Results: AMF species varied from negative to positive in their effects on host plants. AMF often had inconsistent effects on vegetative biomass versus floral traits, and therefore, quantifying one or the other may provide a misleading representation of potential AMF effects. AMF treatments generated key variation in plant traits, especially floral traits, with potential consequences for plant-pollinator interactions. Given increased intraspecific trait variation in Linum lewisii plants across AMF species compared to uninoculated individuals or single AMF treatments, local AMF diversity and their host plant associations may scale up to influence community-wide patterns of trait variation and species interactions. Conclusions: These results have implications for predicting how aboveground communities are affected by belowground communities. Including AMF effects on not just host plant biomass but also functional traits and trait variation will deepen our understanding of community structure and function, including pollination.

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Nitrogen‐fixing bacteria boost floral attractiveness in a tropical legume species during nutrient limitation

Souza,

Valadão‐Mendes,

Schulze‐Albuquerque

et al. 2024

American J of Botany

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PremiseLegumes establish mutualistic interactions with pollinators and nitrogen (N)‐fixing bacteria that are critical for plant reproduction and ecosystem functioning. However, we know little about how N‐fixing bacteria and soil nutrient availability affect plant attractiveness to pollinators.MethodsIn a two‐factorial greenhouse experiment to assess the impact of N‐fixing bacteria and soil types on floral traits and attractiveness to pollinators in Chamaecrista latistipula (Fabaceae), plants were inoculated with N‐fixing bacteria (NF+) or not (NF‐) and grown in N‐rich organic soil (+N organic soil) or N‐poor sand soil (‐N sand soil). We counted buds and flowers and measured plant size during the experiment. We also measured leaf, petal, and anther reflectance with a spectrophotometer and analyzed reflectance curves. Using the bee hexagon model, we estimated chromatic contrasts, a crucial visual cues for attracting bees that are nearby and more distant.ResultsNF+ plants in ‐N sand soil had a high floral display and color contrasts. On the other hand, NF‐ plants and/or plants in +N organic soil had severely reduced floral display and color contrasts, decreasing floral attractiveness to bee pollinators.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that the N‐fixing bacteria positively impact pollination, particularly when nutrients are limited. This study provides insights into the dynamics of plant–pollinator interactions and underscores the significant influence of root symbionts on key floral traits within tropical ecosystems. These results contribute to understanding the mechanisms governing mutualisms and their consequences for plant fitness and ecological dynamics.

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Gender dimorphism and mycorrhizal symbiosis affect floral visitors and reproductive output inGeranium sylvaticum

Cited by 53 publications

References 59 publications

Prolonged stigma and flower lifespan in females of the gynodioecious plant Geranium sylvaticum

Prolonged stigma and flower lifespan in females of the gynodioecious plant Geranium sylvaticum

Mycorrhizae influence plant vegetative and floral traits and intraspecific trait variation

Nitrogen‐fixing bacteria boost floral attractiveness in a tropical legume species during nutrient limitation

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