Pollination Ecology and Endemic Trends in Pedicularis bracteosa var. atrosanguinea Pennell & Thompson (Scrophulariaceae) in North America

Abstract

Abstract Pedicularis bracteosa var. atrosanguinea occurs locally in association with P. racemosa or P. groenlandica in the Olympic Mountains in Washington. Other plant species, e.g., Polygonum bistortoides, Lupinus argenteus var. parviflorus and Valeriana sitchensis compete for space and bumblebee pollinators within the study area. Pollinator sharing, resulting from such competition, may increase the frequency of unvisited flowers of P. bracteosa var. atrosanguinea. P. bracteosa var. atrosanguinea, with blood purple nectariferous flowers, is presumed to lack intense reflections of blue spectral components from its corollas in attracting bumblebees compared to those of P. racemosa and P. groenlandica. Six species of bumblebees (Bombus) and cuckoo bees (Psithyrus) pollinate P. bracteosa var. atrosanguinea. Of these, Bombus mixtus and B. occidentalis occur in higher frequencies and are the major pollinators of P. bracteosa var. atrosanguinea. Queen and larger worker bumblebees pollinate nototribically as they probe for nectar, while smaller worker bumblebees pollinate sternotribically while scraping pollen from anthers deeply hidden in the dome‐shaped galea. Corbicular pollen loads of bumblebees collected in the study area contain Pedicularis pollen alone/in combination of Polygonum, Valeriana, Lupinus, Erigeron and Bidens, or exclusively of Polygonum or Valeriana. P. bracteosa var. atrosanguinea does not suffer seriously from deficient pollination but seedlings resulting from pollinated flowers may be subjected to natural selection pressure exerted by colonial plant species for space. P. bracteosa var. atrosanguinea does not propagate asexually but resumes aerial growth seasonally from the self‐same underground root stocks. If seedlings are under continuous selection pressure for lack of space, P. bracteosa var. atrosanguinea is presumed to regenerate primarily by perennial root stocks. This behavior may favor endemism in P. bracteosa var. atrosanguinea.