Reduced pollination in bilateral flowers could reflect selfing avoidance

Cunha, Nicolay Leme da; Aizen, Marcelo A.

doi:10.1016/j.flora.2023.152220

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Floral symmetry is by no means the only floral trait involved in pollination specialization, and other floral traits such as floral tubes or floral orientation could mediate the effect of symmetry on longevity by affecting rates of pollinator visitation [ 40 ]. Reproductive traits such as dichogamy, self-incompatibility and cleistogamy may also play a role in the relationship between floral longevity and floral symmetry, given these traits can affect the speed at which a flower achieves its function and may be unevenly distributed between zygomorphic and actinomorphic species [ 22 , 41 , 42 ]. Self-compatibility, for example, is more common in zygomorphic flowers yet does not necessarily lead to increased self-pollination where zygomorphy impedes self-pollen deposition [ 41 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reproductive traits such as dichogamy, self-incompatibility and cleistogamy may also play a role in the relationship between floral longevity and floral symmetry, given these traits can affect the speed at which a flower achieves its function and may be unevenly distributed between zygomorphic and actinomorphic species [ 22 , 41 , 42 ]. Self-compatibility, for example, is more common in zygomorphic flowers yet does not necessarily lead to increased self-pollination where zygomorphy impedes self-pollen deposition [ 41 ]. Floral symmetry could thus mediate the relationship between self-incompatibility and floral longevity, which has been hypothesized but not yet demonstrated [ 3 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Zygomorphic flowers last longer: the evolution of floral symmetry and floral longevity

Stephens,

Gallagher,

Méndez

et al. 2024

Biol. Lett.

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Floral longevity, the length of time a flower remains open and functional, is a phylogenetically conserved trait that balances floral costs against the rate at which flowers are pollinated. Floral symmetry has long been considered a key trait in floral evolution. Although zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetric) flowers typically receive fewer floral visitors than actinomorphic (radially symmetric) flowers, it is yet to be determined whether this could be associated with longer floral longevity. Using newly collected field data combined with data from the literature on 1452 species in 168 families, we assess whether floral longevity covaries with floral symmetry in a phylogenetic framework. We find that zygomorphic flowers last on average 1.1 days longer than actinomorphic flowers, a 26.5% increase in longevity, with considerable variation across both groups. Our results provide a basis to discuss the ecological and evolutionary costs of zygomorphy for plants. Despite these costs, zygomorphy has evolved numerous times throughout angiosperm history, and we discuss which rewards may outweigh the costs of slower pollination in zygomorphic flowers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zygomorphic flowers last longer: the evolution of floral symmetry and floral longevity

Stephens,

Gallagher,

Méndez

et al. 2024

Biol. Lett.

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“…The vast majority of angiosperm lineages have evolved tight associations with animal vectors to promote pollen transfer from anthers to stigmas of conspecific flowers (van der Kooi and Ollerton, 2020). In fact, the plant–pollinator interaction is considered the most important evolutionary driver that has shaped the enormous diversity of sexual and mating systems and floral displays, morphologies, sizes, colors, scents, lifespans, phenologies, and rewards, including nectar, pollen, oil, and pheromone precursors (Buchmann, 1987; Fenster et al, 2004, 2009; Schiestl, 2010; Rosas‐Guerrero et al, 2014; Moyroud and Glover, 2017; Cunha and Aizen, 2023). The evolution of many if not all of these traits is governed by trade‐offs between resource allocation and marginal fitness gains via the number of seeds sired (male fitness) and seeds set (female fitness) by individual plants (Charnov, 1982; Brunet, 1992; Klinkhamer et al, 1997; Campbell, 2000).…”

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confidence: 99%

Pollen production per flower increases with floral display size across animal‐pollinated flowering plants

Cunha

Aizen

2023

American J of Botany

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Premise:The number of open flowers on a plant (i.e., floral display size) can influence plant fitness by increasing pollinator attraction. However, diminishing marginal fitness returns with increasing floral display are expected as pollinators tend to visit more flowers per plant consecutively. An extended flower visitation sequence increases the fraction of ovules disabled by self-pollination (ovule discounting) and reduces the fraction of a plant's own pollen that is exported to sire seeds in other plants (pollen discounting). Hermaphroditic species with a genetic system that prevents self-fertilization (self-incompatibility) would avoid ovule discounting and its fitness cost, whereas species without such a genetically based barrier would not. Contrarily, pollen discounting would be an unavoidable consequence of a large floral display irrespective of selfing barriers. Nevertheless, the increasing fitness costs of ovule and pollen discounting could be offset by respectively increasing ovule and pollen production per flower. Methods: We compiled data on floral display size and pollen and ovule production per flower for 1241 animal-pollinated, hermaphroditic angiosperm species, including data on the compatibility system for 779 species. We used phylogenetic general linear mixed models to assess the relations of pollen and ovule production to floral display size. Results: Our findings provide evidence of increasing pollen production, but not of ovule production, with increasing display size irrespective of compatibility system and even after accounting for potentially confounding effects like flower size and growth form. Conclusions: Our comparative study supports the pollen-discount expectation of an adaptive link between per-flower pollen production and floral display across animalpollinated angiosperms.

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Natural history as the foundation for researching plant-pollinator interactions: Celebrating the career of Marlies Sazima

Bergamo,

Agostini,

Machado

et al. 2024

Flora

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Reduced pollination in bilateral flowers could reflect selfing avoidance

Cited by 3 publications

References 68 publications

Zygomorphic flowers last longer: the evolution of floral symmetry and floral longevity

Zygomorphic flowers last longer: the evolution of floral symmetry and floral longevity

Pollen production per flower increases with floral display size across animal‐pollinated flowering plants

Natural history as the foundation for researching plant-pollinator interactions: Celebrating the career of Marlies Sazima

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