Sex differences in floral nectar production by Silene latifolia (Caryophyllaceae), with reference to susceptibility to a pollinator-borne fungal disease

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 1407-1414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqui A. Shykoff
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Silene Latifolia ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Nectar Production ◽  
Microbotryum Violaceum ◽  
Anther Smut Disease ◽  
Anther Smut ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Production Concentration ◽  
Plant Pathogen Interactions

Nectar production and concentration were measured on male and female plants of six experimental lines of Silene latifolia (Caryophyllaceae) that differ in disease resistance. Differences between the sexes and among the lines were found for nectar production, concentration, and total sugar production during the first 24 h of anthesis. Females produced more nectar of lower concentration than did males, and males secreted more sugar than did females during the first day of anthesis. However, nectar traits of males and females resembled one another within a line, suggesting a genetic correlation between the sexes. Further, the additive genetic basis for this trait appears weak. In S. latifolia repeatabilities for nectar traits were low and differed between females and males, so the heritabilities must be extremely low. Groups of plant lines that are "susceptible" and "resistant" to the fungal pathogen Microbotryum violaceum did not differ in nectar parameters. Therefore resistance to this pollinator-borne disease does not appear to influence nectar production. Key words: Microbotryum (= Ustilago), plant – pathogen interactions, pollinator reward, anther-smut disease, dioecy, floral nectar.

scholarly journals Host Flower Infection of Silene latifolia by Microbotryum violaceum

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Reshma Patel
Keyword(s):  
Infected Individual ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Silene Latifolia ◽  
Plant Populations ◽  
Microbotryum Violaceum ◽  
Phenotypic Differences ◽  
The Family ◽  
Anther Smut ◽  
Over Time

Certain fungi can infect host plants and thereby cause sterility of the host. One such fungal parasite, Microbotryum violaceum (commonly known as anther smut), has host specificity to plants of the family Caryophyllaceae. Anther smut takes over the host reproductive system by inhibiting sex-organ development in flowers, and the plant produces fungal spores in place of its normal reproductive structures. Spores can then be spread to nearby hosts through wind and insect pollinators. This experiment focuses on Silene latifolia plant populations growing near Zagreb, Croatia. Our research tests for phenotypic differences between infected and healthy flowers. To do this, we measured the size of healthy and infected flowers of both sexes. Additionally, we observed the proportion of infected flowers over time on individuals to uncover temporal trends of the smut infection. We found that all flower parts, regardless of plant sex, are significantly smaller in smut-infected flowers. After observing proportions of infected flowers, we found that the ratio of infected to healthy flowers increased over time. Our findings suggest that smut infection of S. latifolia causes changes in plant energy allocation. We propose that the smaller flower size could be the result of increased energy needed for M. violaceum spore production. This hypothesis could be tested with additional research. The increasing proportion of smutty flowers on an infected individual over time is likely caused by the spread of the infection throughout the plant.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document