Abstract
ABSTRACT Nectar production has an important role in pollinator attraction and successful fruit production in many self-incompatible angiosperm groups. The reproductive biology of Passiflora actinia was studied here and related to nectar dynamics. Passiflora actinia presented a temporal segregation of male and female functions at the beginning of anthesis. Due to the movements of floral verticils, the anthers were positioned in a way that favors pollination two hours before the stigmas reached the same position. The nectary consisted of an epidermis with stomata and a parenchyma rich in starch, which was hydrolyzed during anthesis. The nectary organization is probably associated with the continuous production of nectar during anthesis as well as with the high mean nectar concentration. Hand pollination tests indicated that Passiflora actinia is obligately xenogamous, depending on large bees for pollination, specifically the carpenter bee Xylocopa augusti. The continuous production of nectar may increase the number of bee visits, thus favoring pollen flow.
Highlights
Nectar production and secretion dynamics has an important role in pollinators attraction and successful reproduction of many allogamous angiosperm groups (Rathcke 1992; Pacini & Nepi 2007)
We present here a study on the floral biology, nectar production and pollinators of Passiflora actinia seeking to test if nectar dynamics is adjusted to anthesis stages and bee behavioral patterns
Passiflora actinia is an outcrossing species pollinated mainly by large bees foraging for nectar
Summary
Nectar production and secretion dynamics has an important role in pollinators attraction and successful reproduction of many allogamous angiosperm groups (Rathcke 1992; Pacini & Nepi 2007). The genus is rich in bee-pollinated species, including crepuscular species (Janzen 1968; Gottsberger et al 1988; Sazima & Sazima 1989; Koschnitzke & Sazima 1997; Camillo 2003; Faria & Stehmann 2010), but there are records of bat-pollinated species such as P. galbana and P. mucronata (Sazima & Sazima 1978; 1987; Varassin et al 2001), hummingbird-pollinated species, like P. speciosa (Varassin et al 2001) and P. vitifolia (Janzen 1968), as well as wasp- and moth- pollinated species (Koschnitzke & Sazima 1997) Due to this wide range of pollinators, Passiflora species may exhibit variable dynamics of nectar production associated to pollinator behavior and breeding strategies (Varassin et al 2001)
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