Pollination Ecology of Three Sympatric Palms of Southern Florida Pine Rocklands

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Three native palms are dominant features of the pine rocklands understory of peninsular southern Florida: sabal palm (Sabal palmetto), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), and silver palm (Coccothrinax argentata). Despite the abundance of these three palm species, the breeding system and pollination mechanisms need further clarification. We used controlled hand-pollination experiments to investigate the breeding systems of these three species. We also observed and captured floral visitors, as well as examined their bodies for pollen, to determine the pollinator assemblages. Our experiments demonstrated that all three palms are self-compatible, and some flowers may set fruit with no manipulation. Natural (open) pollination treatments yielded more fruit than either cross- or self-pollination, indicating no shortage of pollination and suggesting that multiple visits by many pollinators enhances fruit set. We observed a wider variety of visitors (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera) to flowers o...