Flowering pattern and fruit production in the dioecious shrub Oemleria cerasiformis (Rosaceae)

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 1216-1220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldine A. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Flowering Period ◽  
Flowering Pattern ◽  
Flower Opening ◽  
Inflorescence Size ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Flower Display ◽  
Female Flowers

Male plants of Oemleria cerasiformis have a larger flower display and a longer flowering period than females, and tend to show greater phenological variability. Male inflorescences generally begin to flower sooner than females, but reach their peak and finish flowering later. Their longer blooming period is mainly the result of less synchronous flower opening in males. In both sexes flowering tends to be completed more rapidly in later inflorescences. Fruit set in females is positively correlated with time of flowering (r = 0.313) and inflorescence size (r = 0.421). Hand-pollination of female flowers increased fruit set in most inflorescences, indicating that reproductive success in female O. cerasiformis may be pollen limited.

scholarly journals Mating system and female reproductive success of the endemic, epiphytic Prosthechea aff. karwinskii (Orchidaceae)

Lankesteriana ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ericka Camacho-Domínguez ◽  
Irene Ávila-Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Mating System ◽  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Open Pollination ◽  
Female Reproductive Success ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Northern Portion

Prosthechea aff. karwinskii (Mart.) Soto Arenas & Salazar (unpublished name) is an endemic Mexican epiphytic orchid with a restricted distribution. It occurs in deciduous oak forests, particularly on Quercus deserticola in the northern portion of Michoacán state. Due to their ornamental uses, this and other orchid species have been heavily collected from their natural populations. Learning about the reproductive biology of this species is important, as we may gain knowledge about the probable repercussions of overcollecting on their genetics and ecology. This will be a useful tool for the management and conservation of the species. The objectives were to 1) study the mating system of P. aff. karwinskii, 2) determine if the species requires an external pollinating agent for sexual reproduction, and 3) evaluate female reproductive success of this species. Exclusions (150) were made before anthesis. Once the flowers opened, we applied four pollination treatments: manual selfing, outcrossing, spontaneous autogamy, and open pollination. We subsequently quantified the production of fruits and viability of the seeds. Preliminary results showed that outcrossing and selfing treatments exhibited statistically higher fruit set than spontaneous autogamy and open pollination treatments, meaning that P. aff. karwinskii has the capability to reproduce via self-pollination. Prosthechea aff. karwinskii is pollinator-dependent for sexual reproduction, taking into account that the spontaneous autogamy treatment showed nil fruit production. Female reproductive success in open pollinated flowers was lower compared to fruit set of hand pollination treatments. This indicates that this species, as other species of tropical orchids, is pollination-limited. 

Beetle pollination and fruit predation of Xanthosoma daguense (Araceae) in an Andean cloud forest in Colombia

2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos García-Robledo ◽  
Gustavo Kattan ◽  
Carolina Murcia ◽  
Paulina Quintero-Marín
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Female Reproductive Success ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Tropical Cloud Forest ◽  
Nitidulid Beetles ◽  
Pollination Systems

This study describes a pollination system in a species of Araceae that involves three species of beetle, one of which is also a fruit predator. In a tropical cloud forest in Colombia, inflorescences of Xanthosoma daguense opened at dusk, releasing a sweet scent and raising their temperature 1–3 °C. Soon after, two species of Scarabaeidae (Dynastinae; Cyclocephala gregaria and C. amblyopsis) and one species of Nitidulidae (Macrostola costulata) arrived with pollen. Cyclocephala beetles remained inside the inflorescence for 24 h. The next night, Cyclocephala beetles left the inflorescence after picking up the freshly shed pollen, almost always moving to the nearest inflorescence available. The probability of inflorescence abortion and number of fruits set after the visit of one individual was equivalent for both Cyclocephala species. However, C. gregaria was much more abundant than C. amblyopsis, so it was the most important pollinator. There was a positive relationship between the number of dynastine visits and the number of fruits produced. Besides carrying pollen to the inflorescences, nitidulid beetles had a negative effect on female reproductive success through fruit predation. Nitidulid larvae developed inside the infructescence and preyed on up to 64% of the fruits. However, 8% of inflorescences not visited by dynastines were probably pollinated by nitidulids, because hand-pollination experiments showed that self-pollination was unlikely. Inflorescences potentially pollinated by nitidulids comprised 25% of the fruit crop in the year of our study. This interaction with a fruit predator that is also a potential pollinator resembles brood-site pollination systems in which pollinators prey on part of the fruit set (e.g. Ficus, senita cacti, Yucca), making this system substantially more complex than previously described dynastine-pollinated systems in aroids.

scholarly journals Use of timelapse photography to determine flower opening time and pattern in banana (Musa spp.) for efficient hand pollination

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan Waniale ◽  
Rony Swennen ◽  
Settumba B. Mukasa ◽  
Arthur K. Tugume ◽  
Jerome Kubiriba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Set ◽  
Digital Camera ◽  
Female Flower ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Temporal Separation ◽  
Flower Opening ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Male Flowers ◽  
Female Flowers

AbstractSterility and low seed set in bananas is the main challenge to their conventional genetic improvement. The first step to seed set in a banana breeding program depends on pollination at the right time to ensure effective fertilization. This study aimed at determining bract opening time (BOT) to enhance efficient pollination and seed set in bananas. A Nikon D810 digital camera was set-up to take pictures of growing banana inflorescences at five-minute intervals and time-lapse movies were developed at a speed of 30 frames per second to allow real-time monitoring of BOT. Genotypes studied included wild banana (1), Mchare (2), Matooke (4), Matooke hybrid (1), and plantain (1). Events of bract opening initiated by bract lift for female flowers (P < 0.01) started at 16:32 h and at 18:54 h for male flowers. Start of bract rolling was at 18:51 h among female flowers (P < 0.001) and 20:48 h for male flowers. Bracts ended rolling at 02:33 h and 01:16 h for female and flowers respectively (P < 0.05). Total time of bract opening (from lift to end of rolling) for female flowers was significantly longer than that of male flowers (P < 0.001). On average, the number of bracts subtending female flowers opening increased from one on the first day, to between one and four on the fourth day. The number regressed to one bract on day eight before start of opening of bracts subtending male flowers. There was a longer opening interval between bracts subtending female and male flowers constituting spatial and temporal separation. Bract rolling increased from partial to complete rolling from proximal to the distal end of the inflorescence among female flower. On the other hand, bracts subtending male flowers completely rolled. Differences in BOT of genotypes with the same reference time of assessment may be partly responsible for variable fertility. Hand pollination time between 07:00 and 10:00 h is slightly late thus an early feasible time should be tried.

scholarly journals Buds, Bugs and Bienniality: The Floral Biology of Eschweilera tenuifolia (O. Berg) Miers in a Black-Water Flooded Forest, Central Amazonia

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1251
Author(s):  
Adrian A. Barnett ◽  
Sarah A. Boyle ◽  
Natalia M. Kinap ◽  
Tereza Cristina dos Santos-Barnett ◽  
Thiago Tuma Camilo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Insect Infestation ◽  
Insect Larvae ◽  
Flowering Pattern ◽  
Nectar Production ◽  
Flower Opening ◽  
Flooded Forest ◽  
Energy Conserving

Research Highlights: Our study establishes the biennial nature of flowering intensity as a life-time energy-conserving strategy; we show unexpectedly high flower:fruit ratios despite extensive predation of buds and flowers by insect larvae; ‘selective’ bud abortion may be a key annual energy-saving strategy. Background and Objectives: We aim to explain the strongly biennial flowering pattern of Eschweilera tenuifolia, an ecologically key tree species of Amazon blackwater-flooded forest, inundated for up to nine months annually, and with large flowers (6 cm in width). Materials and Methods: We quantified the insect infestation of central Amazonian Eschweilera tenuifolia buds and flowers; we measured nectar production from flower opening onwards, examined flower duration and monitored pollen theft. We tested the role of infestation in bud abortion, nectar production and fruit production initiation. Results: Our study shows extensive predation of buds and flowers by insect larvae, as well as selective abortion of heavily infested buds, and limited loss to pollen thieves which fed largely on infertile fodder pollen. Nectar production peaked in the morning, with no nocturnal nectar production recorded. Sucrose levels were similar to congeneric values (mean 37.4%), and near-constant during production. Flower duration (4–5 days) was longer than reported for other congenerics. Conclusions: Insect infestation of buds can play an important role in regulating flower:fruit ratios, thus setting limits on individual total seed set. Individual Eschweilera tenuifolia appear to invest highly in reproduction every second year. Extended flower duration may be a strategy to enhance pollination success, but increases overall reproductive investment. Abortion of heavily infested buds may minimize allocation of energy to malformed flowers, which have a lower chance of attracting pollinators, thus functioning as a short-term energy-saving strategy. Additionally, biennial flowering in E. tenuifolia is likely to be an energy-conserving response in a highly physiologically-challenging environment. Thus, E. tenuifolia exhibits energy-conservation strategies at two divergent temporal scales.

The Timing and Patterning of Flowering

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pat Willmer
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Flowering Phenology ◽  
Flowering Period ◽  
Flower Longevity ◽  
Pollen Transfer ◽  
Flowering Pattern ◽  
Floral Longevity ◽  
Pollen Receipt

This chapter examines the factors that affect the timing and patterning of flowering, as well as the effects of different flowering patterns on pollination outcomes. Plants should flower in ways that maximize their own reproductive success. The “flowering pattern” is a composite of the timing and frequency of individual flowers opening, and also of floral longevity. These phenological factors vary between and within species. Flowering phenology can influence the plant’s manipulation of its visitors in ways that should increase either or both of pollen transfer and pollen receipt. The chapter first considers the frequency of flowering and the shape of the flowering period before discussing flower longevity and flowering period. It also explores the question of how big a flower should be, how many flowers a plant should have at any one time, what determines the phenological parameters for a particular plant species, and where the flowers should be placed.

Fruit set in lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.). Variation between flowers, panicles and trees

1991 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 1163 ◽  
Author(s):  
CA McConchie ◽  
DJ Batten
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Female Flower ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Litchi Chinensis ◽  
Female Phase ◽  
Individual Trees ◽  
Female Flowers

The ability of lychee cv. Bengal (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) female flowers to produce fruit has been investigated within individual panicles. Female flowers were pollinated with pollen from the same cultivar or removed manually. These experiments showed that 13.3% of the flowers opening on the first three days of the female phase of anthesis produced fruit. This was significantly fewer than the 22.8% of female flowers opening 4 to 6 days after commencement of female anthesis. Only 9.2% of flowers produced fruit on panicles in which every female flower was pollinated and none removed. No panicle yielded more than 28 fruit. The variation in female flower fecundity within a panicle, and the decrease in the proportion of flowers that yielded fruit as the number of flowers pollinated per panicle increased imply that comparisons between different treatments to lychee flowers should be made on entire panicles and not individual flowers. There was no difference between replicates of treatments on the same tree nor in the performance of individual trees. The time of day that pollination was performed appeared to have little effect on the percentage of fruit retained. There was no obvious relationship between prevailing weather conditions on the day of pollination and fruit production.

Floral Biology and Inefficient Pollen Removal in Banksia spinulosa var neoanglica (Proteaceae)

1991 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 167 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Vaughton ◽  
M Ramsey
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Floral Biology ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Pollen Deposition ◽  
Stigma Receptivity ◽  
Flower Opening ◽  
Pollen Removal ◽  
Pollen Longevity ◽  
Floral Visitors

Stigma receptivity, pollen longevity and rates of flower opening were examined in Banksia spinulosa var. neoanglica. The interaction between these aspects of floral biology and removal of self pollen by floral visitors, autogamous pollen deposition and autogamous fruit set was determined. Flowers were strongly protandrous; most stigmatic grooves opened and maximum stigma receptivity occurred 3-4 days after the flowers opened. Over 80% of pollen was viable when flowers first opened. Pollen longevity was extended; 58% and 33% of pollen was still viable 8 and 12 days respectively after the flowers opened. Rates of flower opening were slow with only 19-32 flowers opening per day, depending on temperature. More than 80% of flowers had self pollen remaining on their pollen presenters 5 days after the flowers opened. Autogamous pollination did not occur until at least 6 days after the flowers opened. Pollen deposition and fruit production were significantly less on autogamous than open-pollinated inflorescences. Pronounced protandry, extended pollen longevity and slow rates of flower opening in B. spinulosa may have been selectively favoured by inefficient removal of self pollen by floral visitors.

Tropical fruit production depends on wild insect communities: bees and lychees in Thailand

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Khwankhao Sinhaseni ◽  
Carla P. Catterall
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Insect Communities ◽  
Tropical Fruit ◽  
Flower Visitors ◽  
Pollination Success ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Mesh Bags

Abstract The importance of wild insects as pollinators of tropical tree crops has rarely been tested. Across 18 small-scale lychee orchards in northern Thailand, we evaluated the roles of different wild insects as pollinators and predators of pests in fruit production. Quantitative assessments showed that bees (Family Apidae) were strongly dominant (83%) among insect flower visitors, comprising four species in tribes Apini and four in Meliponini. Experimental manipulations of inflorescences showed that fruit production in these orchards was: (1) dependent on flower visits by wild insects because enclosure of inflorescences in mesh bags decreased fruit set (to one-fifth) and (2) not greatly limited by pollinator deficiencies, because hand pollination of unbagged flowers did not enhance fruit set. Pollination success, as indicated by the proportion of unmanipulated flowers setting fruit, correlated positively across orchards with the abundance of large-bodied Apidae (>7 mm; most were Apis species) and of Apini, and negatively with abundance of small-bodied Apidae and of all Meliponini, despite the latter being the commonest flower visitors. We conclude that larger-bodied bees are most likely to travel sufficiently far to import genetically diverse pollen, in this landscape-scale mosaic where non-orchard habitats (both agriculture and treed patches) were sufficient to sustain wild pollinators.

scholarly journals Addition of Forchlorfenuron to Spray Pollination Media Increases Fruit Set in ‘Hosui’ Japanese Pear

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-190
Author(s):  
Daisuke Sakamoto ◽  
Shinnosuke Kusaba ◽  
Yuri Nakamura
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Fruit Shape ◽  
Japanese Pear ◽  
Pyrus Pyrifolia ◽  
High Germination ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Acceptable Method

The effects on fruit set of adding forchlorfenuron (CPPU) to media in which pollen grains were suspended and used for spray pollination was investigated in ‘Hosui’ japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia). The percentages of fruit set after spray pollination were lower than those after hand pollination; however, media with 2 or 10 mg·L−1 CPPU used for spray pollination resulted in greater percentages of fruit set than media without CPPU. The media with CPPU also resulted in higher levels of pollen germination compared with the medium without CPPU; however, the number of seeds per fruit with CPPU treatment tended to be almost the same or less than for fruit without CPPU treatment. From these results, the higher levels of fruit set by CPPU might not be due to the high germination rate of the pollen grains but due to the induction of partial parthenocarpic properties. The medium with 10 mg·L−1 CPPU gave the highest levels of fruit set, but the fruit had abnormally thickened and enlarged calyxes, and the fruit shape tended to be deformed at ≈21 days after flowering. In addition, all of the harvested fruit were calyx-perpetual fruit in which the calyx remains until harvest time. Fruit treated with 2 mg·L−1 CPPU also yielded calyx-perpetual fruit with high frequency, but the fruit had normal calyxes and the fruit shape tended to be more normal. Thus, we conducted experiments focusing on the medium containing 2 mg·L−1 CPPU. Although the results were variable from year to year, more than 70% of hand-pollinated flowers set fruit during the 3-year study; this level of fruit production is sufficient for practical use. Thus, spray pollination using a medium with 2 mg·L−1 CPPU is an acceptable method for pollinating ‘Hosui’ japanese pear.

scholarly journals 322 WHY DOES SOUR CHERRY (Prunus cerasus) PRODUCE SO MANY MORE FLOWERS THAN FRUITS?

HortScience ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 476e-476
Author(s):  
A. Kahn ◽  
A.F. Iezzoni ◽  
S. Kalisz ◽  
CA. Mulinix ◽  
V. Delasalle
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Germplasm Collection ◽  
Sour Cherry ◽  
Pollinator Attraction ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Flower Density ◽  
Zygotic Selection ◽  
Maternal Resources ◽  
Flower Display

The number of flowers produced by sour cherry greatly exceeds the number of fruits developed. Two hypotheses to explain this disparity were investigated: (1) pollen may be limiting, and (2) a large flower display is important for pollinator attraction. Self-incompatibility, which is common in sour cherry, was considered. Fruit set, floral morphology, and flower density were measured on 18 sour cherry selections, both self-compatible and self-incompatible (SI), in the MSU sour cherry germplasm collection following open- and bulk-pollination. Although supplemental hand pollination resulted in a significant increase in fruit set, the final fruit set was still low (18% vs 14%) indicating that lack of pollination alone was insufficient to account for the low fruit set. The SI selections had significantly larger flower cups, pistil/petal size ratio, and more flowers/branch cross-sectional area suggesting that flower display may have an increased role in pollinator attraction in the SI selections. These results will be discussed in relation to 2 additional hypotheses: insufficient maternal resources and genetic factors resulting in pre- or post-zygotic selection.

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