Pollination in conifers

Owens, John N.; Takaso, Tokushiro; Runions, C. John

doi:10.1016/s1360-1385(98)01337-5

Cited by 134 publications

(109 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Instead, we offer two further adaptive interpretations. First, the arrangement of the cone's scales may have evolved as a form of guttering, which directs beads of water from rainfall and dew to roll over scale surfaces to the cone's interior, thereby bringing scavenged pollen to the micropyles (15). Second, the aerofoil profiles of scales may function as turgour-operated, bistable structures that enable the cone to open hydraulically, remain open during its pollination phase, and later close for the better protection of seeds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In pines and cedars (Cedrus spp. ), each scale exudes a minute droplet of liquid on its adaxial surface near its base (15), which is analogous to the angiosperm stigma. Arguably, the turbine-like architecture of the ovulate cone is an adaptation for producing airflows that direct airborne pollen to these droplets (11).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Arguably, the turbine-like architecture of the ovulate cone is an adaptation for producing airflows that direct airborne pollen to these droplets (11). This view has been widely presented (15,16), and we term it the ''turbine interpretation'' of cone structure. Here we call this interpretation into question.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Conifer ovulate cones accumulate pollen principally by simple impaction

Cresswell¹,

Henning²,

Pennel³

et al. 2007

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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In many pine species (Family Pinaceae), ovulate cones structurally resemble a turbine, which has been widely interpreted as an adaptation for improving pollination by producing complex aerodynamic effects. We tested the turbine interpretation by quantifying patterns of pollen accumulation on ovulate cones in a wind tunnel and by using simulation models based on computational fluid dynamics. We used computer-aided design and computed tomography to create computational fluid dynamics model cones. We studied three species: Pinus radiata, Pinus sylvestris, and Cedrus libani. Irrespective of the approach or species studied, we found no evidence that turbine-like aerodynamics made a significant contribution to pollen accumulation, which instead occurred primarily by simple impaction. Consequently, we suggest alternative adaptive interpretations for the structure of ovulate cones.aerodynamics ͉ computational fluid dynamics ͉ computed tomography ͉ wind pollination

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conifer ovulate cones accumulate pollen principally by simple impaction

Cresswell¹,

Henning²,

Pennel³

et al. 2007

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…They are an old and diverse group, with approximately 630 extant species and a fossil record stretching back 300 million years [20], but many aspects of their biology are less variable than those of flowering plants, making correlations easier to interpret. For example, conifers are all wind-pollinated trees or shrubs, and their reproductive organs are borne on separate pollen-producing or seedproducing cones [21]. Conifers do, however, vary in their breeding system from species where individuals produce both types of cone, a condition termed monoecy, to those that are dioecious, with individuals bearing only one type.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining the distribution of breeding and dispersal syndromes in conifers

et al. 2013

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The evolution of plants exhibiting different sexes, or dioecy, is correlated with a number of ecological and life-history traits such as woody growth form and animal-dispersed seeds, but the underlying causes of these associations are unclear. Previous work in seed plants has suggested that the evolution of fleshy cones or seeds may favour dioecy. In this study, we use a well-sampled molecular phylogeny of conifers to show that although dioecy and fleshiness strongly co-occur at the species level, this relationship has not resulted from numerous separate origins of this trait combination or from differential rates of diversification. Instead, we suggest that two character combinationsthe ancestral dry-monoecious condition and the derived fleshy-dioecious condition-have persisted in conifers longer than other combinations over evolutionary time. The persistence of these trait combinations appears to reflect differences in the rate of successful transition into and out of these character states over time, as well as the geographical restriction of species with rare combinations and their consequent vulnerability to extinction. In general, we argue that such persistence explanations should be considered alongside 'key innovation' hypotheses in explaining the phylogenetic distribution of traits.

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“…It is also present in groups that are considered to be basal to conifers, such as cycads and Ginkgo. 2 The role of the PD in the pollination mechanism has been studied in several conifer families. For example, in western pine (Pinus monticola), a PD is secreted from the ovule, and it increases in size to fill the space between the micropylar arms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The behavior of pollination drop secretion in Ginkgo biloba L.

Jin

Jiang

Wang

et al. 2012

Plant Signaling & Behavior

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Pollination drop (PD) secretion plays a critical role in wind pollination in many gymnosperms. We conducted detailed investigations on PD secretion in Ginkgo biloba, and found that PDs could not form when the micropyle was removed, but were able to form after removal of the shoot, leaves, ovular stalk, or ovular collar. The duration and volume of the PD increased under high relative humidity, but addition of salt or sugar did not affect PD secretion, its size, or its duration. Morphological and anatomical observations showed that many secretion cells at the nucellus tip contributed to secreting the PD after the formation of pollen chamber. Under laboratory conditions, the PD persisted for approximately 10 d if not pollinated, and re-formed five times after it was removed, with the total volume of PDs reaching approximately 0.4 μL. These results suggested that PDs can be continuously secreted by the tip of the nucellus cells during the pollination stage to increase the chance of capturing pollen from the air. Importantly, PD secretion is an independent behavior of the ovule and PDs were produced apoplastically.

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Pollination in conifers

Cited by 134 publications

References 30 publications

Conifer ovulate cones accumulate pollen principally by simple impaction

Conifer ovulate cones accumulate pollen principally by simple impaction

Explaining the distribution of breeding and dispersal syndromes in conifers

The behavior of pollination drop secretion in Ginkgo biloba L.

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