Reproductive phenology and pre-dispersal fruit predation in Atriplex halimus L. (Chenopodiaceae)

Abstract

Background The flowering phenology pattern of Atriplex halimus was studied in a Mediterranean habitat in order to analyze protandry effectiveness. Fruit set evolution was recorded over two years and the impact of pre-dispersal predation by insects was also evaluated. Results The flowering phenology coincided in 2006 and 2007, starting in mid-July and reaching full flowering at the end of August in both years. Inflorescences are composed of glomerules with 8.78 ± 2.79 male flowers and 4.57 ± 2.58 female flowers, with no significant differences in position on the inflorescence. The peaks of male and female flower anthesis were reached in mid-August, but the male maximum occurred one week before the female. Plants at the start of flowering only bear male flowers, but female flowers soon appear. Fruit set starts at the end of August; all the flowers were transformed into fruit by mid-September and their development continued to the beginning of October, when fruit structures had matured and began to drop. Fruit predation started at the end of September and reached maximum intensity in mid-October. Conclusions At population level, male and female flowers seemed to open in the same weeks, but at plant and glomerule level male flowers opened one week before the females. Fruit predation levels were 62.42 and 43.14% in 2006 and 2007 respectively, with no significant differences between different parts of the inflorescence. And larvae of Coleophoridae were the most abundant predators.

Protection against insect predation during fruit development: the role of fleshy fruit wings of three species of Zygophyllum in the cold desert of Central Asia

“…Fruit predation can significantly reduce the reproductive potential of plants ( Kolb et al., 2008 ). The impact of fruit predation on plant populations depends on predation rates and whether these rates vary predictably across species and environments ( Palmisano and Fox, 1997 ; Maron and Crone, 2006 ; Romera et al., 2013 ). In our study, the percentage of winged fruits damaged by insects ranged from 16 to 31% across 11 populations of the three Zygophyllum species in the Junggar Desert of Xinjiang, China.…”

Herbivoría y sequía en el Monte: Factores de estrés que afectan el crecimiento y el ataque de insectos en hojas y semillas de una especie forrajera

“…Los frutos con semillas viables son aquellos sin daño que resistieron una ligera presión manual. Los frutos vanos son aquellos de menor tamaño y sin presencia de semillas, y los frutos dañados por insectos muestran una pequeño orificio de entrada con restos de heces adentro (Busso and Bonvissuto 2009;Romera et al 2013;Dágata et al 2021). En total analizamos 6397 frutos provenientes de 110 plantas de 12 campos muestreados, ~60 frutos por planta y 10 plantas por campo.…”

Antibacterial Activity and Gas Chromatography–mass Spectrometry Studies of Algerian Atriplex Halimus L.

“…Atriplex halimus is an evergreen shrub which can grow 2 m high and 3 m diameter at a medium rate. It is a monoecious plant that is pollinated by wind and produces a staminate flower [3]. It is widely distributed in Europe and Northern Africa, including the Sahara in Morocco and Algeria [4] (Fig.…”