Submarine Pollination

Pettitt, J. M.; Ducker, Sophie; Knox, Bruce

doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0381-134

Cited by 24 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…HESLOP-HARRISON and SHIVANNA 1977), or the mangrove Avicennia. Esterase activity is also present in the mucilaginous surface secretion of stigmas of seagrasses, which flower while totally submerged in the sea (DUCKER and KNOX 1976, PETTITT 1980, PETTITT et al 1981. Here the pellicle appears to be insoluble in sea water.…”

Section: Enzymesmentioning

confidence: 96%

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Pollen-Pistil Interactions

Knox¹

1984

Cellular Interactions

187

134

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Section: Enzymesmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Secondly, the exine controls the shape of pollen grains; most are spherical or triangular, although occasionally the grains are elongated into a tube (e. g., Crossandra BRUMMITT et al 1980) or are filiform, e. g., in seagrasses of the families Cymodoceaceae, Zosteraceae or Posidoniaceae (PETTITT et al 1981).…”

Section: Lipid-containing Componentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pollen-Pistil Interactions

Knox¹

1984

Cellular Interactions

187

134

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“…Approximately 75 per cent of seagrasses are dioecious (den Hartog, 1970;Pettitt et at., 1981; Les, 1988;Cox & Humphries, 1993) compared to only 4 per cent among angiosperms generally *Correspondence (Richards, 1986). The striking predominance of dioecy amongst seagrasses has not been adequately explained, but has been attributed to the perceived advantage of elevated levels of genetic diversity as a result of outcrossing (den Hartog, 1970;Pettitt et at., 1981). This argument is questioned by Les (1988) who points out that dioecy does not guarantee high outcrossing rates in seagrasses, where sexual reproduction may be sporadic and/or insignificant.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic uniformity in Amphibolis antarctica, a dioecious seagrass

1996

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Few detailed studies have been published on genetic variation in seagrasses except those on the monoecious Zostera marina L. or the hermaphrodite Posidonia australis Hook. f This paper presents allozyme, RFLP and reproductive biology data on Amphibolis antarctica (Labill.) Sonder & Aschers, one of the 75 per cent of all seagrass species which are dioecious.Collections were made from approximately one-third of the species range in Western Australia. Its only congener, A. gnfflthii (J. M. Black) den Hartog, was collected from one site to provide a comparison. Flowering was observed in 25 per cent of the shoots surveyed and the average sex ratio was 3.8: 1 (F:M) which it has been suggested indicates sexual reproduction. No genetic variation was found within or between populations at 14 allozyme loci. 18S RFLPs and M13 DNA fingerprinting gave few satisfactory results but also did not exhibit any variability. Allozyme variation was observed between A. antarctica and A. griffithii, the only congeneric species. The lack of allozyme and DNA variation within A. antarctica indicates a potentially low level of outbreeding, a highly clonal reproductive system or a very efficient genetic system in A. antarctica. The hypothesis that the dioecious reproductive system evolved in seagrasses to maximize outbreeding and genetic variability, proposed by several authors, is questioned in light of these data.

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“…Marine angiosperms, or seagrasses, are a polyphyletic group in which dioecy is the most common mating system, expressed in 78% of species and 9 of 13 genera (Pettitt et al 1981). They are highly specialized plants with uniquely evolved functional morphologies such as reduced flowers that facilitate submarine pollination (Ackerman 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Where a male is hard to find: consequences of male rarity in the surfgrass Phyllospadix torreyi

Buckel

Blanchette²,

Warner³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Determining whether seed production is limited by pollen availability has been an area of intensive study. Past studies have focused largely on terrestrial species with biotic pollination modes, but precise causes and consequences of pollen limitation remain unknown. Here, sex ratio, seed production, seed recruitment, and viability were examined in intertidal populations of a dioecious, abiotically pollinated marine angiosperm, Phyllospadix torreyi (Torrey's surfgrass). Using field surveys and a common garden experiment, this study was conducted near Santa Barbara, California, USA, from 2007 to 2008. Reproduction and recruitment of P. torreyi primarily occur near the parental source (tens of meters) because female reproductive success ratio (RSR, measured as the ratio of fertilized ovules to total ovules) increased with local pollen production (RSR range: 0.02−0.71), and seed recruitment was predicted by local (site) seed production and elevation zone within the intertidal. Low RSR at sites with extreme male rarity (< 0.3 male flowering shoots m −2 ) suggests that pollen limitation is occurring within this system. Seed recruitment was predicted by local (site) seed production and elevation zone (area of potential seed recruitment within the intertidal). The occurrence of seed production and recruitment at sites with extreme male rarity suggests some dispersal of seeds and pollen extending beyond the immediate vicinity of the site. Pollen or seed dispersal over longer distances, although rare, may reduce habitat fragmentation by facilitating colonization of newly available habitat. Localized pollen availability affected seed quantity but not quality; seed germination and growth were uniform among sites.

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Submarine Pollination

Cited by 24 publications

References 0 publications

Pollen-Pistil Interactions

Pollen-Pistil Interactions

Genetic uniformity in Amphibolis antarctica, a dioecious seagrass

Where a male is hard to find: consequences of male rarity in the surfgrass Phyllospadix torreyi

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