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Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2003; 5(1): 71-78
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-37977
Original Paper
Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ·New York

Nocturnal Versus Diurnal Pollination Success in Isertia laevis (Rubiaceae): A Sphingophilous Plant Visited by Hummingbirds

D. Wolff 1 , M. Braun 2 , S. Liede 1
  • 1 Lehrstuhl für Pflanzensystematik, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
  • 2 Abteilung Systematische Botanik und Ökologie, Universität Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received: July 11, 2002

Accepted: December 19, 2002

Publication Date:
18 March 2003 (online)

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Abstract

Isertia laevis (Rubiaceae) possesses flowers with traits typical for the pollination syndrome of sphingophily. Diurnal flower observation showed that nine different hummingbirds (Trochilidae) and one flower piercer (Coerebidae) were frequent visitors. Their activity on the flowers peaked in the morning hours. Very low nectar volumes were found in the morning (8.00 h) in unbagged flowers. Nectar volumes, however, reached their peaks (27 μl) at night (2.00 h) in bagged, as well as in unbagged flowers. At night few individuals of sphingids were observed. Pollination experiments showed that flowers presented to nocturnal pollinators from 18.00 h to 6.00 h had low fruit set (14 %) but high seed set (59 %). Flowers accessible from 6.00 h to 18.00 h for diurnal flower visitors showed high fruit set of 63 % but low seed set of 14 %. This suggests that pollination of individual flowers is less effective during daytime. Regarding relative reproductive success, i.e., efficiency of pollination defined as fruit set x seed set, both diurnal and nocturnal pollinators, however, are equally successful. We conclude that frequently occurring, but not very effective pollinators contribute substantially to seed production, when the expected pollinators are scarce.

Key words

Rubiaceae - Sphingidae - Trochilidae - nectar production - pollination effectiveness - pollination syndromes - reproductive system - fruit set - seed set

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D. Wolff

Lehrstuhl für Pflanzensystematik
Universität Bayreuth

95440 Bayreuth
Germany

Email: sigrid.liede@uni-bayreuth.de

Section Editor: G. Gottsberger

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