“Back-to-bud” strategy in Nymphaea amazonum (Nymphaeaceae): A protogynous macrophyte of the Pantanal wetlands

Abstract

Seven species of Nymphaea, a protogynous and night-flowering plant, occur in the Pantanal wetlands. In this study, we report the floral biology of Nymphaea amazonum in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul. We used focal observations and video monitoring throughout the anthesis. Its flowers start to open at dusk. This is followed by an interposing “back-to-bud” stage and finally a full opening from about 04:00h to 05:00h. We observed the flowers lasted 3 days and Cyclocephala sp. beetles and Apis mellifera bees visited them during this time. We compared the floral behavior of N. amazonum to Prance's record and found there were several differences. We highlighted the use of non-traditional tools as a complement for a better understanding the floral biology of a previously understudied species.