Flower receptivity and fruit characteristics associated to time of pollination in the yellow passion fruit Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Degener (Passifloraceae)

Abstract

Flower receptivity during the period the flower is open was assessed with two histochemical tests, alpha-naphtil acetate and hydrogen peroxide, and with a controlled pollination test in a yellow passion fruit population, from midday to 17:00 h, in two seasons, autumn and summer. The fruit obtained from the pollinated stigmas were assessed for four characteristics: weight, length, diameter and seed number. The time of the day affected flower receptivity and the fruit characteristics. The histochemical tests indicated that flower receptivity was approximately 80% even 5 h after the flower opened. The controlled pollination test resulted in contrasting flower receptivity and mean values of less than 35% receptivity at the end of the period of flower opening. There was high correlation between fruit weight and seed number and between fruit length and diameter. The results indicated that flower receptivity tended to decline sharply after 14:00 h in both autumn and summer while fruit mean values reach the greatest mean percentage in the summer.