Download PDF
Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2007; 9(6): 694-704
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-965238
Research Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart KG · New York

Development of Distylous Flowers and Investment of Biomass in Male and Female Function in Palicourea padifolia (Rubiaceae)

A. Hernández1 , J. F. Ornelas1
  • 1Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología A.C., km. 2.5 Carretera Antigua a Coatepec No. 351, Congregación El Haya, Apartado Postal 63, Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, México
Further Information

Publication History

Received: October 27, 2006

Accepted: March 15, 2007

Publication Date:
12 June 2007 (online)

   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Knowledge of developmental pathways for achieving differences in style and anther heights, in concert with those of ancillary features accompanied with data in regard to biomass investment to male and female function, provide an excellent opportunity for examining the developmental correlations between primary and ancillary floral traits so as to understand the evolution of heterostyly. The ontogenetic relationships between bud length and anther height and between bud length and style height, and between bud length versus bud width, anther length, and number of pollen grains per anther for long-styled (LS) and short-styled (SS) morphs of P. padifolia are described. We also described the ontogenetic biomass allocation to male and female function and to corolla with elongation of buds harvested at regular intervals. We observed an early termination of stylar growth in SS buds, whereas LS styles steadily increased in size. Morph differences for relative growth rates were significant for anther height, anther length, and pollen number but not for bud width. Bud width and anther length had a negative allometric relationship with bud elongation. The relationship between bud length and number of pollen grains per anther was positive and morph differences in pollen number were detected at later stages of development. An increase in corolla mass involved a disproportionate allocation to the female function in SS flowers and male allocation was similar for the two morphs over the course of development. Our results are consistent with theoretical and empirical data for distylous species with an approach herkogamous ancestor, and with the more general hypothesis of ontogenetic lability of heterostyly, in which morph differences in style and anther heights are achieved in various ways. Variations observed in sexual investment between floral morphs suggest differences in sex expression during flower development.

Key words

Palicourea padifolia - ancillary traits - distyly - male and female function - ontogenetic relationships - pollen production

References

  • 1 Arroyo J., Dafni A.. Variation in habitat, season, flower traits and pollinators in dimorphic Narcissus tazatta L. (Amaryllidaceae) in Israel.  New Phytologist. (1995);  129 135-145
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Barrett S. C. H.. Evolution and Function of Heterostyly. Berlin; Springer-Verlag (1992)
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 3 Barrett S. C. H., Cruzan M. B.. Incompatibility in heterostylous flowers. Williams, E. G., Knox, R. B., and Clarke, A. E., eds. Genetic Control of Self-Incompatibility and Reproductive Development. Dordrecht; Kluwer Academic (1994): 189-219
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 4 Barrett S. C. H., Jesson L. K., Bake A. M.. The evolution and function of stylar polymorphisms in flowering plants.  Annals of Botany. (2000);  85 253-265
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Casper B. B.. The application of sex allocation theory to heterostylous plants. Barrett, S. C. H., ed. Evolution and Function of Heterostyly. Berlin; Springer-Verlag (1992): 209-223
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 6 Castillo-Campos G.. Vegetación y flora del Municipio de Xalapa, Veracruz. Xalapa; Instituto de Ecología, A.C. (1991)
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 7 Cesaro A. C., Barrett S. C. H., Maurice S., Vaissiere B. E., Thompson J. D.. An experimental evaluation of self-interference in Narcissus assoanus: functional and evolutionary implications.  Journal of Evolutionary Biology. (2004);  17 1367-1376
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Charlesworth D.. Allocation to male and female function in hermaphrodites, in sexually polymorphic populations.  Journal of Theoretical Biology. (1989);  96 143-149
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 9 Charlesworth D., Charlesworth B.. A model for the evolution of distyly.  American Naturalist. (1979);  114 467-498
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 10 Charlesworth D., Charlesworth B.. The effect of investment in attractive structures on allocation to male and female functions in plants.  Evolution. (1987);  41 948-968
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Contreras P. S., Ornelas J. F.. Reproductive conflicts of Palicourea padifolia (Rubiaceae) a distylous shrub of a tropical cloud forest in Mexico.  Plant Systematics and Evolution. (1999);  219 225-241
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Darwin C.. The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species. London; Murray (1877)
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 13 Domínguez C. A., Ávila-Sakar G., Vázquez-Santana S., Márquez-Guzmán J.. Morph-biased male sterility in the tropical distylous shrub Erythroxylum havanense (Erythroxylaceae).  American Journal of Botany. (1997);  84 626-632
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Dulberger R.. Floral polymorphism and their functional significance in the heterostylous syndrome. Barrett, S. C. H., ed. Evolution and Function of Heterostyly. Berlin; Springer-Verlag (1992): 40-84
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 15 Dulberger R., Ornduff R.. Stigma morphology in distylous and non-heterostylous species of Villarsia (Menyanthaceae).  Plant Systematics and Evolution. (2000);  225 171-184
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 16 Faivre A. E.. Ontogenetic differences in heterostylous plants and implications for development from a herkogamous ancestor.  Evolution. (2000);  54 847-858
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 17 Ganders F. R.. The biology of heterostyly.  New Zealand Journal of Botany. (1979);  17 607-635
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 18 González C., Ornelas J. F., Jiménez L.. Between-year changes in functional gender expression of Palicourea padifolia (Rubiaceae), a distylous, hummingbird-pollinated shrub.  Annals of Botany. (2005);  95 371-378
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 19 Hernández A., Ornelas J. F.. Correlación morfoespecífica en flores de Palicourea padifolia (Rubiaceae).  Boletín de la Sociedad Botánica de México. (2003);  73 35-41
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 Hernández A., Ornelas J. F.. Disassortative pollen transfer in distylous Palicourea padifolia (Rubiaceae), a hummingbird-pollinated shrub.  EcoScience. (2007);  14 8-16
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 21 Lloyd D. G., Webb C. J.. The evolution of heterostyly. Barrett, S. C. H., ed. Evolution and Function of Heterostyly. Berlin; Springer-Verlag (1992 a): 151-175
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 22 Lloyd D. G., Webb C. J.. The selection of heterostyly. Barrett, S. C. H., ed. Evolution and Function of Heterostyly. Berlin; Springer-Verlag (1992 b): 179-207
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 23 Muenchow G.. Ecological use of failure time analysis.  Ecology. (1986);  67 246-250
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 24 Naiki A., Kato M.. Pollination system and evolution of dioecy from distyly in Mussaenda parviflora (Rubiaceae).  Plant Species Biology. (1999);  14 217-227
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 25 Nishihiro J., Washitani I., Thomson J. D., Thomson B. A.. Patterns and consequences of stigma height variation in a natural population of a distylous plant, Primula sieboldii.  Functional Ecology. (2000);  14 502-512
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 26 Ornduff R.. Systematics and breeding system of Gelsemium (Loganiaceae).  Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. (1970);  51 1-17
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 27 Ornelas J. F., Jiménez L., González C., Hernandez A.. Reproductive ecology of distylous Palicourea padifolia (Rubiaceae) in a tropical montane cloud forest. I. Hummingbirds' effectiveness as pollen vectors.  American Journal of Botany. (2004 a);  91 1052-1060
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 28 Ornelas J. F., González C., Jiménez L., Lara C., Martínez A. J.. Reproductive ecology of distylous Palicourea padifolia (Rubiaceae) in a tropical montane cloud forest. II. Attracting and rewarding mutualistic and antagonistic visitors.  American Journal of Botany. (2004 b);  91 1061-1069
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 29 Pailler T., Thompson J. D.. Distyly and variation in heteromorphic incompatibility in Gaertnera vaginata (Rubiaceae) endemic to La Réunion Island.  American Journal of Botany. (1997);  84 315-327
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 30 Ree R. H.. Pollen flow, fecundity, and the adaptive significance of heterostyly in Palicourea padifolia (Rubiaceae).  Biotropica. (1997);  29 298-308
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 31 Richards J. H., Barrett S. C. H.. The development of heterostyly. Barrett, S. C. H, ed. Evolution and Function of Heterostyly. Berlin; Springer-Verlag (1992): 85-127
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 32 Richards J. H., Koptur S.. Floral variation and distyly in Guettarda scabra (Rubiaceae).  American Journal of Botany. (1993);  80 31-40
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 33 Riveros M., Barria O., Humaña P.. Self-incompatibility in distylous Hedyotis salzmannii (Rubiaceae).  Plant Systematics and Evolution. (1995);  194 1-8
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 34 Taylor C. M.. Revision of Palicourea (Rubiaceae) in Mexico and Central America.  Systematic Botanical Monographs. (1989);  26 1-102
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 35 Webb C., Lloyd D.. The avoidance of interference between the presentation of pollen and stigmas in angiosperms. II. Herkogamy.  New Zealand Journal of Botany. (1986);  24 163-178
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 36 Wolfe L. M.. Associations among multiple floral polymorphisms in Linum pubescens (Linaceae), a heterostylous plant.  International Journal of Plant Sciences. (2001);  162 335-342
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 37 Wolfe L. M., Barrett S. C. H.. Pollinator foraging behavior and pollen collection on the floral morphs of tristylous Pontederia cordata L.  Oecologia. (1987);  74 347-351
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 38 Wolfe L. M., Barrett S. C. H.. Patterns of pollen removal and deposition in tristylous Pontederia cordata L. (Pontederiaceae).  Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. (1989);  36 317-329
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar

J. F. Ornelas

Departamento de Biología Evolutiva
Instituto de Ecología A. C.

km. 2.5 Carretera Antigua a Coatepec No. 351, Congregación El Haya

Apartado Postal 63

Xalapa, Veracruz 91070

México

Email: francisco.ornelas@inecol.edu.mx

Editor: J. T. M. Elzenga