Predicting the probability of the bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) flowering or remaining vegetative from the size and number of leaves

Wells, T. C. E.; Cox, Ruth

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511551307.011

Cited by 19 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…The more leaves on a plant, the greater the probability of it flowering. This observation is consistent with the behaviour of other tuberous orchids, for example, Ophrys apifera Hudson (Wells and Cox 1989) and Himantoglossum hircinum Spreng. (Pfeifer et al 2006).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Phenology, Population Dynamics, and Flowering Dynamics of Case's Ladies'-tresses, Spiranthes casei var. casei (Orchidaceae), in Ottawa, Ontario

Reddoch¹,

Reddoch²

2009

Can Field Nat

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We describe a seven-year study (2002–2008) of a population of Case’s Ladies’-tresses (Spiranthes casei var. casei) in the western Greenbelt in Ottawa, Ontario, that had been extant since at least 1972. We also record a temporary colonization in the eastern Greenbelt for 11 years (1998–2008). The seven life history stages identified were seed, juvenile, immature, flowering, vegetative, offshoot (ramet), and non-emergent. Mature plants present in the first two years of the study had mean half lives of 9.4 years. Flowering and seed production were limited by damp, cloudy weather when fall rosettes develop, by gastropod herbivory in early summer, by drought in mid-summer, and by deer herbivory in late summer. Given the resulting wide fluctuations in the fractions of plants flowering, as well as the lack of visibility of vegetative plants, this study demonstrates the limitations of annual censuses of flowering stems for determining the actual sizes of populations and for detecting long-term population trends.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Phenology, Population Dynamics, and Flowering Dynamics of Case's Ladies'-tresses, Spiranthes casei var. casei (Orchidaceae), in Ottawa, Ontario

Reddoch¹,

Reddoch²

2009

Can Field Nat

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“…The amount of accumulated carbohydrates is determined by the size of the cumulative leaf area, which the plants produce before April (Wells and Cox 1989). We may conclude that the flowering plants had larger leaf numbers and area throughout two years before reproduction, than the vegetative.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Species that produce leaves in autumn and remain green do not suffer from summer droughts because they have no above-ground organs at that time (Wells and Cox 1989). But as we saw above, in winter and springtime the orchids may suffer serious damage, so these seasons are critical periods for the individuals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Investigations based on the direct measurements used destructive method (Wells and Cox 1989), which are to be avoided because the Himantoglossums are strictly protected species and their population sizes are just too low to apply destructive methods.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wells and Cox (1989) demonstrated that Ophrys apifera has a minimum rosette size, required for flowering, the probability of flowering increases with increasing rosette size and number of leaves. Balounová (1999, 2001) summarised and critically reviewed the hypotheses that had been put forward as explanations of the irregular flowering phenomenon of orchids: irregular flowering was attributed to costs associated with sexual reproduction, to herbivory or to the chaotic behaviour of the system represented by difference equations described growth of the vegetative and reproductive organs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Growth ofHimantoglossum adriaticumandH. caprinumindividuals, and relationship between sizes and flowering

Bódis¹,

Botta‐Dukát²

2008

Acta Botanica Hungarica

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The long-term protection of plant species is impossible without a comprehensive and thorough knowledge of their biology. This paper deals with some of the important aspects of the biology of two strictly protected species, Himantoglossum adriaticum and H. caprinum. The changes of the leaf area of plants were measured with a non-destructive method and the growth pattern was investigated during the vegetation period. It was also studied how the plant size of individuals changed from year to year, and what kind of connection there was between the plant condition and the flowering. Large size plants of both species were characterised by intensive growth rates in autumn and spring, their growth stopped in winter. Often they lost some of their leaf areas because of damage from insects (mainly in the case of H. caprinum), and frost (almost exclusively in the case of H. adriaticum). In some years the medium and small size plants were characterised by similar growth pattern to those of large size ones, but more often their growth did not stop in winter, though their growth was not so fast. The medium and small size H. caprinum individuals showed an intense autumn growth only in one vegetation period, which characterised both large size individuals of H. caprinum and all individuals of H. adriaticum. The constant annual rate of growth, which may have been slowed meaning that the leaf number did not grow, but it did not stop either, was detected in hardly more than 10% of individuals with both species. In the case of H. adriaticum the critical size for flowering seemed to be 50 cm 2 , which was usually reached in the four-leaf stage of the rosettes. The same value was 100 cm 2 in the case of H. caprinum and it needed at least a six-leaf basal rosette. The leaf number and the leaf area of reproductive plants had been larger for already two years before flowering took place, than those of the plants that remained vegetative.

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Flowering dynamics ofOrchis morioL. andHerminium monorchis(L.) R.Br. at two sites in eastern England

Wells

Rothery

Cox

et al. 1998

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society

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Predicting the probability of the bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) flowering or remaining vegetative from the size and number of leaves

Cited by 19 publications

References 0 publications

Phenology, Population Dynamics, and Flowering Dynamics of Case's Ladies'-tresses, <em>Spiranthes casei</em> var. <em>casei</em> (Orchidaceae), in Ottawa, Ontario

Phenology, Population Dynamics, and Flowering Dynamics of Case's Ladies'-tresses, <em>Spiranthes casei</em> var. <em>casei</em> (Orchidaceae), in Ottawa, Ontario

Growth ofHimantoglossum adriaticumandH. caprinumindividuals, and relationship between sizes and flowering

Flowering dynamics ofOrchis morioL. andHerminium monorchis(L.) R.Br. at two sites in eastern England

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