It takes two to tango: self incompatibility in the bromeliad Tillandsia streptophylla (Bromeliaceae) in Mexico

Ivón M Ramírez Morillo,Germán Carnevali,Filogonio May Pat,Francisco Chi May

doi:10.15517/rbt.v57i3.5490

Ivón M Ramírez Morillo, Germán Carnevali + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v57i3.5490

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Abstract

Floral phenology and breeding system of Tillandsia streptophylla (Bromeliaceae) were studied in a low inundated forest in Yucatan, Mexico. During the flowering season, from March to August, terminal scapose 1-branched, paniculate inflorescences are produced with one flower per branch opening per day, over a period of 11-29 days. Flowers are tubular, light violet, with the stigma placed below the anthers, both protruding above the corolla. Flowers are protandrous, with anthers releasing pollen from 0500 hours and stigma becoming receptive around 0900 hours. Controlled experimental crosses suggest that Tillandsia streptophylla is self incompatible and therefore, pollinator-dependent.

Highlights

Bromeliaceae is the largest endemic family to the Neotropics
Self-compatibility index (SCI) was estimated by dividing the number of fruits or seeds produced in self-pollinated (SP) flowers by the number of fruits or seeds from cross-pollinated (CP) flowers
The self fertility index (Lloyd and Shoen 1992) was calculated by dividing the amount of fruits or viable seeds produced in spontaneous selfing (SS) by those in cross pollination (CP)

Summary

Introduction

Bromeliaceae is the largest endemic family to the Neotropics Mexico has 18 genera and 342 species of Bromeliaceae (Espejo-Serna et al 2004), with two endemic genera (Ursulaea Read & Baensch) and Viridantha Espejo, an adiditional genus which is almost restricted to its territory, Hechtia Klotzsch, and centers of diversity for Tillandsia L. subgenus Tillandsia, and for Pitcairnia. Most of the reports, based on experimental crosses, suggest self compatibility and spontaneous self-pollination as a rule in hermaphroditic species, such as in Pitcairnia species and some of its natural hybrids in Brazil (Wendt et al 2001) while probable self-incompatibility has been found in Aechmea distichantha Lem. var. It is well documented that many orchid and several bromeliad species, feature mechanisms promoting crosspollination

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