Breeding system, reproductive efficiency and weed potential of A. baileyana

2002 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Morgan ◽  
Susan M. Carthew ◽  
Margaret Sedgley

Acacia baileyana F.Muell. is a native environmental weed which has invaded bush areas of south-eastern Australia from ornamental plantings. There are two main colour forms, the typical green-leaf form and the variety `purpurea', which has purple new growth. Only the green form appears to have invaded natural bush. The weed potential of A. baileyana was investigated in terms of its breeding system and seed production. It was found that the purple form is as reproductively efficient as the green form. Both forms were outcrossing, highly self-incompatible, grew very rapidly and flowered by two years of age. For open, natural pollination, final pod set was low-less than 0.41%. However, seed production was high due to the high number of flowers present. Maximum flower production for a 2-year-old plant was over 300 000, resulting in more than 8000 seeds. Precocity and high flower numbers appear to be the reasons for the weed status of A. baileyana. Given the similarity in reproductive efficiency between both forms, it is postulated that the absence of the purple form as a weed could be due to it being a relatively new horticultural variety, or to the purple colour being a recessive trait.

2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Ramsey ◽  
Leahwyn Seed ◽  
Glenda Vaughton

We used experimental pollinations to examine the breeding system and inbreeding depression in Hibiscus trionum L., an annual herb of cultivated and disturbed sites in eastern Australia. Seeds were not produced asexually. Flowers were fully self-compatible and autonomously self-pollinating. Autonomous self-pollination was due to a delayed selfing mechanism that gave precedence to cross pollen but ensured that stigmas contacted the anthers at the end of floral life. Using selfed and crossed progeny from 10 maternal plants, we examined the magnitude and timing of inbreeding depression over a range of life-cycle stages, including seed production by maternal plants, and seed germination, seedling growth, survival, flowering and seed production by F1 plants. Average cumulative inbreeding depression was 0.15, although there was considerable variation among maternal families (δ = –0.07–0.43). Inbreeding depression was not uniform across all life stages and was most prevalent late in the life cycle, affecting days to flowering and fruiting and flower production. Our results indicate that major lethal alleles have been purged from this population, probably through high levels of recurrent self-fertilisation. The flexibility in plant mating afforded by delayed selfing is likely to contribute to the invasiveness of H. trionum, particularly in annual cropping situations.


1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byron B. Lamont ◽  
Jens M. Olesen ◽  
Peter J. Briffa

The reproductive biology of two species pairs was compared, one member of which (Dryandra sessilis (Knight) Domin, Hakea erinacea Meissner) is susceptible to severe stress and disturbance by fire (nonsprouter) and stores few seeds in its crown, while the other (D. lindleyana Meissner, H. cristata R.Br.) is resilient (resprouter) and also stores most of its seeds for some years. It was hypothesised that the nonsprouter would have a high annual seed production associated with a suite of attributes directed towards that end (forming a reproductive syndrome), and that the resprouter would have the reverse properties. Over 30 attributes were assessed, covering putative pollinators, pollinator attractants and rewards, flower phenology, breeding system, and flower, fruit and seed production. Dryandra sessilis produced far more seeds than D. lindleyana, due to prolific flower production and a high fruit : flower ratio (associated with an effective outcrossing breeding system). Hakea erinacea produced significantly more seeds than H. cristata, which was attributable to its smaller fruits and exceptionally high fruit : flower ratio (associated with highly effective selfing). The correlation of seed production and fruit : flower ratio with susceptibility to fire was not supported by any consistent pattern among the other reproductive attributes.


1991 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Leeton ◽  
YJ Fripp

The endangered plant species, Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides (button wrinklewort), is now known from only a few populations in each of two regions separated by approximately 500 km in south-eastern Australia. Plants were examined from several populations from each region. No differences in chromosome number or morphology were observed among plants or populations. All counts were diploid, 2n = 26. Viable progeny were obtained following self-pollination and allozyme analysis indicated that these progeny were the result of selfing and not agamospermy. This species is not an obligate outcrosser and does not have a classical pre-zygotic self-incompatibility system. However, outcross pollen may have an advantage over self pollen and this species may thus be preferentially outcrossing. The pollen: ovule ratios (mean 3186 ± 48.5) were consistent with this hypothesis. Allele frequencies at allozyme loci diferred little between populations, with an estimated 97% of the variation within populations. There was no correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance. In contrast, for the leaf dimensions of plants germinated and raised together in a glasshouse there were differences between plants from the two regions. It is recommended that populations from both regions should be conserved.


2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saul A. Cunningham

Calyptrogyne ghiesbreghtiana Linden ex. H. Wendl. is an understorey palm that occurs at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. In this paper I combine analysis of natural variation and results of experimental manipulations to ask (1) what limits seed production? and (2) what processes cause variation in seed production by C. ghiesbreghtiana? The number of seed produced per inflorescence ofC. ghiesbreghtiana was limited substantially by the loss of female flowers to floral herbivores. Much variation in the number of seed produced perinflorescence of C. ghiesbreghtiana was due to losses of developing fruits to predators. Together these phenomena illustrate the influential role of natural enemies in the reproductive success of this plant. Seed-set efficiency (number of seeds/number of female flowers) was highly variable in this species, and such high levels of variation appear to be common in other species. For species with highly variable seed-set efficiency, the role of resource allocation to flower production in determining differences in seed production among individual plants is likely to be relatively small.


2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 889 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. R. Spennemann ◽  
L. R. Allen

Olives (Olea europaea ssp. europaea), dispersed from 19th century orchards in the Adelaide area, have become established in remnant bushland as a major environmental weed. Recent expansion of the Australian olive industry has resulted in the widespread planting of olive orchards in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and parts of Tasmania. This paper reviews the literature on the activity of vertebrate (principally avian) olive predators and their potential as vectors for spreading this plant into Australian remnant bushland. The effects of feralisation on the olive plant, which enhances its capacity for dispersal as a weed, place wider areas of south-eastern Australia at risk. A number of approaches for the control of olives as woody weeds are addressed. Proponents of new agricultural crops have moral and environmental obligations to assess the weed potential of these crops.


2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 879-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Bernucci Virillo ◽  
Flavio Nunes Ramos ◽  
Cibele Cardoso de Castro ◽  
João Semir

(Floral biology and breeding system oi Psychotria tenuinervis Muell. Arg. (Rubiaceae) in the Atlantic rain forest, SE Brazil). The aim of this study was to investigate pollination biology, floral morphometry, morph ratio and breeding system oiPsychotria tenuinervis in an area of Atlantic rain forest in southeastern Brazil. Pollination biology was studied based on focal observations and the breeding system was determined using controlled crosses; data on flower production and floral morphometry were compared between the two floral morphs. Flower production by the two floral morphs was similar, with flowers being reciprocally herkogamous, diurnal and pollinated at similar frequencies, mainly by medium-sized bees. Corolla length and diameter, as well as anther length, were similar between the floral morphs, whereas stigma lobes were larger in thrums. Psychotria tenuinervis is a preferentially self- and intramorph-incompatible, non-apomitic species, with isoplethic populations. At the study site, P. tenuinervis may be considered as a typical distylous species, with reciprocal herkogamous flowers that favour intermorph pollinations and legitimate matings.


2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 613 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Gardener ◽  
R. D. B. Whalley ◽  
B. M. Sindel

Nassella neesiana (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth (Chilean needle grass) originated in South America and is now a widespread weed in pastures in south-eastern Australia. To date, little research on the biology of N.�neesiana has been undertaken in Australia. This study investigated several aspects of the biology of N. neesiana in pastures on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. The main flowering period for N. neesiana in Australia was shown to extend from November to February and is similar to that in South America. Potential for production of panicle seeds was large and varied from 1584 seeds/m2 in 1995 to 22 203 seeds/m2 in 1996 as a result of changes in the density of flowering tillers per unit area. Nassella neesiana produced a further 7.2 cleistogenes (hidden seeds in the flower stem) on average per tiller. Hence, total potential seed production (panicle seeds and cleistogenes) was 28 282 and 8036 seeds/m2 in 1996 and 1997, with the cleistogenes accounting for 21.5 and 26.1% of the total respectively. Furthermore, the production of cleistogenes was not affected by clipping flowering tillers at 3 different heights. Three possible dispersal mechanisms of N. neesiana seeds were investigated. Adherence of seeds to the wool appeared to be the most effective. Twenty-five per cent of seeds that were picked up naturally in the wool of sheep after grazing in a paddock of N. neesiana, remained after 5 months. Shearing just before seed set reduced the number of seeds adhering to the wool. An average of 1.7% of panicle seeds and 5.3% of cleistogenes fed to Angus steers passed through the animal intact within 4 days, but <50% of these seeds were viable. The majority of seeds recovered from a wind dispersal experiment were within 1 m of the parent plant and the furthermost seed was 2.8 m away. The implications of these results for management are discussed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esteban Rios ◽  
Ann Blount ◽  
Philip Harmon ◽  
Cheryl Mackowiak ◽  
Kevin Kenworthy ◽  
...  

Seed production is a critical component in agricultural systems based on bahiagrass and ergot has been reported to significantly reduce seed quality in tetraploid cultivars. Seed yield and quality are important traits to evaluate in the advanced breeding lines developed at the University of Florida. Resistance to ergot was assessed in seven tetraploid bahiagrass breeding lines and the cultivar Argentine. Tebuconazole and pyraclostrobin also were evaluated for managing ergot and increasing seed quality. Argentine and two tetraploid hybrids (Hyb1 and Hyb2) showed the highest levels of ergot severity and incidence. Three wild-type bahiagrass lines (WT-2, WT-4 and WT-5) performed significantly better than Argentine and could be considered resistant to ergot. Anthesis was the critical stage in relation to ergot infection, and a single application of tebuconazole at anthesis reduced ergot severity; however, neither fungicide was able to reduce ergot incidence. Tebuconazole and pyraclostrobin improved seed set, and reproductive efficiency was 2.4% higher after the application of tebuconazole. The slight increase in reproductive efficiency following fungicide application may not be economically justifiable for seed production in bahiagrass. Three advanced tetraploid breeding lines (Hyb1, WT-3, and WT-5) exhibited adequate seed production to be considered for cultivar release. Accepted for publication 24 February 2015. Published 17 April 2015.


1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence M. Laverty ◽  
R. C. Plowright

The breeding system and determinants of fruit and seed production in a population of 114 patches of Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum L.) were examined. Experimental crosses indicated that Mayapple patches are self-incompatible (clones) and that fruit and seed set were pollinator limited. Mayapple flowers are nectarless yet depend primarily on infrequent visits by nectar-searching bumblebees for pollination. The proportion of flowers setting fruit and ovules setting seed in Mayapple clones was inversely associated with the distance to neighboring clones and the distance to Pedicularis canadensis L. plants. Clones within 45 m of P. canadensis plants (which are heavily visited by bumblebees) showed significant increases in fruit and seed production compared with a similar group of more distant clones. This effect is interpreted as evidence for a facilitative interaction between Mayapple and P. canadensis.


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