Flower Diversity Research Articles

Checking in at bee hotels: trap-nesting occupancy and fitness of cavity-nesting bees in an urbanised biodiversity hotspot

With urbanisation leading to loss of nesting resources, and increasing public interest in helping bees, bee hotels (trap-nests) are becoming popularised. However, their success is relatively understudied. The influence of habitat type in determining occupancy and emergence is also poorly known. Over two years across 7 bushland remnant and 7 residential garden sites, trap-nests were installed and completed nests collected monthly over spring-summer. Bees appeared to take a month to find the trap-nests, irrespective of month they were installed. A small percentage (13% and 6% in the two years) of tubes were occupied, but this was within the range of other trap-nesting studies. Smaller 4 and 7 mm diameter nests had a higher occupancy rate than 10 mm diameter tubes. An impressive number − 24 bee species – occupied the trap-nests. Representation however was dominated by five species. The species composition (species and their relative abundances) of cavity-nesting bees differed greatly between those using the trap-nests compared with those observed in the field. Bushland remnants tended to have more bee hotels occupied, and male body size of emerged bees was larger in this habitat. Unexpectedly native and total flower diversity reduced bee hotel occupancy, whereas native flower parameters tended to positively influence bee fitness. Overall installing bee hotels can provide additional nesting resources for native bees in urbanised areas, and providing high proportions of native flora in the vicinity should enhance fitness of the bees using them.

Pollination by sexual deception

The flower is arguably the centrepiece of angiosperm evolution. Its primary function is to secure pollination - the transfer of pollen from the anther (male) to the stigma (female). As plants are sessile organisms, the extraordinary diversity of flowers in large part reflects countless alternative evolutionary solutions to achieve this critical step in the flowering plant life cycle. The majority of flowering plants, some 87% by one estimate, depend on animals for pollination, with most of these paying for the service of pollination via food rewards of nectar or pollen. As in human economic systems, however, some cheating and deception occurs, with the pollination strategy of sexual deception being one such example.

Phenotypic Diversity Analysis in Elaeagnus angustifolia Populations in Gansu Province, China

As a highly resistant urban ornamental plant, Elaeagnus angustifolia L. is often used in dry land, saline-alkali land shelter forest, and landscape horticulture. It is the main windbreak and sand-fixing tree species in Gansu Province, China. The special geographical and climatic environment makes the distribution and growth of E. angustifolia in Gansu Province show different degrees of difference. In order to evaluate the phenotypic diversity of E. angustifolia in different populations and its variation patterns under different geographical and climatic conditions, 35 phenotypic traits (trunk, branch, leaf, and flower related traits) of 90 plants from 10 populations in Gansu Province were measured and analyzed. The results showed the following: (1) E. angustifolia has rich phenotypic variation. The variation is greater among populations. The traits with the largest and smallest coefficients of variation were “under-branch height” and “flower diameter”, respectively. The variation in the Qilihe population was the largest, and the variation in the Ganzhou population was the smallest. The diversity of flowers and leaves is relatively higher. (2) Correlation analysis showed that most of traits were closely related. Leaf traits showed a gradient variation law dominated by altitude and precipitation. Flower traits were affected by the synergistic effects of various geographical and climatic factors. (3) The results of the principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the primary traits affecting the phenotypic diversity of E. angustifolia were leaf size and branch length among the related traits of trunk, branch, leaf, and flower. (4) Cluster analysis showed that 90 E. angustifolia plants were clustered into four clusters that were not completely clustered according to geographical distance and may be randomly affected by genotypic or environmental factors. These results will lay a foundation for further analysis of the genetic mechanism of phenotypic traits of E. angustifolia and also provide a reference for the collection, preservation, and variety improvement of E. angustifolia germplasm resources.

Widely targeted metabolomics reveals the antioxidant and anticancer activities of different colors of Dianthus caryophyllus.

Carnation is edible flower that has potent antioxidant properties and is used in traditional Chinese medicinal system and food industry. The phytochemicals responsible for these various proprieties, however, are not fully understood. Thus, in order to recognize metabolite diversity and variability in carnation flowers of different colors and to discover key metabolites that contribute to the differences in antioxidant and anticancer activities, widely targeted LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics analysis was conducted on purple, green, yellow, and white carnation flowers. We identified and chemically categorized 932 metabolites. Metabolic compounds varied significantly with flower color. Several flavonoids, organic acids, phenolic acids, and nucleotides and their derivatives were found to be specific differential metabolites in purple flowers. A total of 128 key differential metabolites were screened. The purple flowers were found to have the highest antioxidant and anticancer activities compared to the other colored flowers. Correlation analysis revealed that the 6-hydroxykaempferol-3,6-O-diglucoside, 6-hydroxykaempferol-7-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-sophoroside, and 2'-deoxyguanosine were found to be the major constituents of the antioxidant and anticancer activities. 2'-Deoxyguanosine has effective antiproliferative activity against A549 and U2OS cells for the first report. At the same time, the combination of 2'-deoxyguanosine with 6-hydroxykaempferol-3, 6-O-diglucoside, or quercetin-3-O-sophoroside have also been found to increase the antitumor activity of 2'-deoxyguanosine. These discoveries enrich information on the phytochemical composition of carnation of different colors and provide resources for the overall use and improvement of carnation flowers quality.

Three new yeast species from flowers of Camellia sinensis var. assamica collected in Northern Thailand and their tannin tolerance characterization.

Our recent research study focused on Miang fermentation revealed that tannin-tolerant yeasts and bacteria play vital roles in the Miang production process. A high proportion of yeast species are associated with plants, insects, or both, and nectar is one of the unexplored sources of yeast biodiversity. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate and identify yeasts of tea flowers of Camellia sinensis var. assamica and to investigate their tannin tolerance, which is a property essential to Miang production processes. A total of 82 yeasts were recovered from a total of 53 flower samples in Northern Thailand. It was found that two and eight yeast strains were distinct from all other known species within the genera Metschnikowia and Wickerhamiella, respectively. These yeast strains were described as three new species, namely, Metschnikowia lannaensis, Wickerhamiella camelliae, and W. thailandensis. The identification of these species was based on phenotypic (morphological, biochemical, and physiological characteristics) and phylogenetic analyses of a combination of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) ribosomal RNA gene. The yeast diversity in tea flowers acquired from Chiang Mai, Lampang, and Nan provinces had a positive correlation with those acquired from Phayao, Chiang Rai, and Phrae, respectively. Wickerhamiella azyma, Candida leandrae, and W. thailandensis were the species uniquely found in tea flowers collected from Nan and Phrae, Chiang Mai, and Lampang provinces, respectively. Some of the tannin-tolerant and/or tannase-producing yeasts were associated with yeasts in the commercial Miang process and those found during Miang production, i.e., C. tropicalis, Hyphopichia burtonii, Meyerozyma caribbica, Pichia manshurica, C. orthopsilosis, Cyberlindnera fabianii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, and Wickerhamomyces anomalus. In conclusion, these studies suggest that floral nectar could support the formation of yeast communities that are beneficial for Miang production.

Unfulfilled Promise: Pollinator Declines, Crop Deficits, and Diet-Associated Disease.

Unfulfilled Promise: Pollinator Declines, Crop Deficits, and Diet-Associated Disease.

Leaf and Flower Characterization of Abiu (Pouteria caimito Radlk.) at Two Locations in Bogor Region, West Java, Indonesia.

Abiu is a species introduced into Indonesia from the tropics of the Amazon and has been developing for several years. Information on the characteristics of the abiu plant are still limited compared to other introduced fruit species. This research aims to identify the characteristics of the abiu plants in two locations in the Bogor region, West Java, Indonesia. The research was conducted at Balumbang Jaya village, the sub-district of Dramaga, the village of Mekarsari, the sub district of Cileungsi, Bogor, West Java. Further observation was conducted at Post-harvest Laboratory and Micro Technic Laboratory, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture IPB. The field study was conducted in January to July of 2018. This research was descriptive and no treatment was applied on the plant samples. Sampling was done randomly with as many as 15 plants at each location. Observations and measurements were conducted on the number of branches, leaves and flowers on 10 samples per plants. The results showed that there is morphological diversity of flowers and leaves at the two locations. The length, width, and weight of leaves and flowers in Balumbang Jaya were larger than those in Mekarsari. Different environments may contribute to the diversity of abiu leaves and flowers in the two locations.

In Vitro Polyploidization of Brassolaeliocattleya Hybrid Orchid.

The Cattleya (Orchidaceae-Laeliinae subtribe) intergeneric hybrids, such as Brassolaeliocattleya (Blc.), have great ornamental value, due to their compact-size, with large and high color diversity of flowers. Artificial induction of polyploidy brings agronomic, ornamental and genetic benefits to plants. Polyploidization efficiency depends on factors, such as the type of antimitotic, polyploidization method, concentrations, exposure times and type of explant. This study aimed to develop a protocol to polyploidize Blc. orchids, by testing two types of explants (seeds and protocorms), concentrations and exposure times to colchicine. The effects of colchicine on the in vitro development of explants were also investigated. The responses of explants to colchicine depended on the concentrations, exposure time and the interaction of these factors. Flow cytometric analysis evidenced high endopolyploidy and allowed the separation of polyploidized (4C, 8C and 16C peaks) from non-polyploidized (only 2C and 4C peaks) plants. The highest percentage of polyploid plants was regenerated from protocorms (16.4%) treated with colchicine instead of seeds (3.2%). Protocorms treated with colchicine at 500-750 μM for 18 h resulted in the best percentage of polyploidization. Additionally, in vitro natural polyploidization using protocorms was reported (11.5%). Cytological analyses allowed an estimation of the number of chromosomes of the parents (≡70), polyploidized (≡140) and non-polyploidized progeny (≡70).

Evaluating the Influence of Agro-Environmental Measures on Honey Bees Based on Genetic Pollen Analysis With Nanopore Sequencing

Intensive land use is one of the main drivers contributing to the loss of pollinating insects due to the distribution of pesticides and the reduction of flower diversity. This work analyzes honey bee pollen samples taken from areas of different agricultural intensity. The aim is to classify the plant species contained in the pollen samples using DNA barcodes and nanopore sequencing in order to evaluate the influence of different agro-environmental measures on the foraging behavior of honey bees. First results concern the DNA extraction and the identification of universal primer sequences in preparation for sequencing with the MinION Mk1c from Oxford Nanopore Technologies.

Differentiation and Propagation Potential of Arnica montana L. Achenes as a Consequence of the Morphological Diversity of Flowers and the Position of Flower Heads on the Plant.

Arnica montana L. is a very important medicinal plant and simultaneously a European endemic endangered plant species. The morphological features and details of seed development and achene variability are poorly recognized. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the achene position in the infructescence and the location of the inflorescence on the plant on the (i) morphological characteristics and germination ability of achenes, and (ii) recruitment of seedlings and their biometric features. Infructescences containing fully ripe achenes were randomly collected from A. montana individuals for the measurements and the germination experiment. Scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and light microscopy were used for characterization of flowers and achenes. The morphological traits of achenes and reproductive characteristics of A. montana were determined by the position of the achenes in the infructescence and the location of the inflorescence on the plant. The surface of arnica achenes is equipped with non-glandular and glandular trichomes, which is very rarely presented in species of the family Asteraceae. It is possible that the fluid-containing glandular trichomes are a source of essential oils. The peripherally located achenes were longer, thinner, and lighter. They were characterized by lower embryo weight, lower embryo/achene weight ratio, and lower germination capacity in comparison to the centrally located ones. The results presented in this article fill the gap in the knowledge of the morphology of achenes and the biology of the species, and provide information that can help in breeding programs, active protection, and field cultivation.

Exploration of the Distinctive Flower Diversity and their Therapeutic Efficacy from Surajpur District of Chhattisgarh, India

Exploration of the Distinctive Flower Diversity and their Therapeutic Efficacy from Surajpur District of Chhattisgarh, India

The status and natural impact of floriculture production in Ethiopia: a systematic review.

Ethiopia's floriculture industry is exceedingly emerging, and, currently, it ranks as the sixth largest exporter of roses worldwide and second largest in Africa. Currently, many flowers, such as rose, gypsophila, carnations, and chrysanthemum, are growing. However, floriculture farms are contributing a high level of health risks and environmental problems in Ethiopia. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to scrutinize the status and impacts of floriculture industries in Ethiopia. The floriculture division is an emerging sector in Ethiopia, and the number of farms, income, job opportunities, and diversity of flowers are increasing. However, the health risks and environmental fates of the sector are also increasing. Ethiopian floriculture farms lack waste disposal technologies and workers' protective equipment and safety, and the chemicals, plastics, and corrugated irons used in the farms are carelessly disposed everywhere. Pesticides, plastics, and fertilizers are also freely discharged into water bodies and terrestrial land, which is causing the development of health risks; aquatic life hazards; and soil, water, and air pollution. However, Ethiopia has no strong and functional system or structure to control the impacts of floriculture farms. The government and the farm owners are not thoughtful about the environmental issues, health concerns, and socioeconomic impacts of the wastes. The government lacks regular control and assessment of farms, and the farms are engaging for their profit. Nevertheless, developed countries are currently using both natural and modern technologies to manage floricultural wastes. Ethiopia should therefore suggest manageable possible approaches and sound management strategies based on the findings of the analyses.

Small floral patches are resistant reservoirs of wild floral visitor insects and the pollination service in agricultural landscapes

Small floral patches that coexist with crops in agricultural landscapes can function as biodiversity reservoirs. However, the influence of the landscape context and agricultural management on the capacity of these small green infrastructures to support diversity is poorly understood. Here, we evaluate the effect of landscape simplification, agricultural intensification in the neighbourhood, and quality of the floral habitats on the success of these patches to support flower-visiting insect communities as well as the pollination service they provide.To this aim, we sampled floral patches located in 18 paired olive farms with contrasting herb cover management (intensive vs. low-intensity), distributed along a wide gradient of landscape complexity at the regional scale of South Spain. We conducted surveys of flower-visiting insects in 36 multi-floral stands and 36 mono-floral stands of Sinapis alba Linnaeus (1753) within these floral patches. Mono-floral stands were used to evaluate variations in the pollination service through number of viable seeds and seed set.Results revealed that the abundance and diversity of flower-visiting insects respond to the quality of the floral patch (diversity of flowers) but not to landscape context nor agricultural management around it. Moreover, the pollination service was similar and high (seed set ca. 100 %) in all floral patches regardless of their context.Our findings highlight the importance of even small floral patches that function as reservoirs of diversity of flower-visiting insects and the pollination service. They also show the high resistance of these patches to agricultural intensification and simplification in olive grove landscapes.

Increasing flower species richness in agricultural landscapes alters insect pollinator networks: Implications for bee health and competition.

Ecological restoration programs are established to reverse land degradation, mitigate biodiversity loss, and reinstate ecosystem services. Following recent agricultural intensification that led to a decrease in flower diversity and density in rural areas and subsequently to the decline of many insects, conservation measures targeted at pollinators have been established, including sown wildflower strips (WFS) along field margins. Historically successful in establishing a high density of generalist bees and increasing pollinator diversity, the impact of enhanced flower provision on wider ecological interactions and the structure of pollinator networks has been rarely investigated. Here, we tested the effects of increasing flower species richness and flower density in agricultural landscapes on bee‐plant interaction networks. We measured plant species richness and flower density and surveyed honeybee and bumblebee visits on flowers across a range of field margins on 10 UK farms that applied different pollinator conservation measures. We found that both flower species richness and flower density significantly increased bee abundance, in early and late summer, respectively. At the network level, we found that higher flower species richness did not significantly alter bee species' generality indices, but significantly reduced network connectance and marginally reduced niche overlap across honeybees and bumblebee species, a proxy for insect competition. While higher connectance and niche overlap is believed to strengthen network robustness and often is the aim for the restoration of pollinator networks, we argue that carefully designed WFS may benefit bees by partitioning their foraging niche, limiting competition for resources and the potential for disease transmission via shared floral use. We also discuss the need to extend WFS and their positive effects into spring when wild bee populations are established.

Evidence for an evo-devo-derived hypothesis on three-dimensional flower shape modularity in a tropical orchid clade.

Covarying suites of phenotypic traits, or modules, are increasingly recognized to promote morphological evolution. However, information on how modularity influences flower diversity is rare and lacking for Orchidaceae. Here, we combine high-resolution X-ray computed tomography scanning with three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to test various hypotheses about three-dimensional patterns of flower evolutionary modularity in Malagasy Bulbophyllum orchids and examine rates and modes of module evolution. Based on the four evolutionary modules identified (i.e., sepals, lateral petals, labellum + column-foot, and column-part), our data support the hypothesis that both genetic-developmental and functional adaptive factors shaped evolutionary flower trait covariation in these tropical orchids. In line with "evo-devo" studies, we also find that the labellum evolved independently from the rest of the petal whorl. Finally, we show that modules evolved with different rates, and either in a neutral fashion (only column-part) or under selective constraints, as likely imposed by pollinators. Overall, this study supports current views that modular units can enhance the range and rate of morphological evolution.

Genetic control of the lateral petal shape and identity of asymmetric flowers in mungbean (Vigna radiata L.).

Broad diversity of flowers in Fabaceae provides a good system to investigate development and evolution of floral symmetry in higher plants. Many studies have demonstrated a conserved mechanism controlling development of zygomorphic flower during last decades. However, the molecular basis of how asymmetric flower established is largely unknown. In this study, we characterized mutants named keeled wings (kw) in mungbean (Vigna radiata L.), which is a legume species with asymmetric flowers. Compared to those in the wild type plants, the lateral petals were ventralized in the kw mutants. Map-based cloning showed that KW was VrCYC3 gene in mungbean, the ortholog of Lotus japonicus CYC3 (LjCYC3) and Pisum sativum CYC3 (PsCYC3). In addition, another two CYC-like genes named VrCYC1 and VrCYC2 were identified from mungbean genome. The three CYC-like genes displayed distinct expression patterns in dorsal, lateral and ventral petals. It was found that VrCYC3 was located in nucleus. Further analysis showed that VrCYC3 had transcription activity and could interact with VrCYC1 and VrCYC2 in yeast cell. Moreover, the deletion of two amino acid residues in the R domain of VrCYC3 protein could decrease its interaction with VrCYC1 and VrCYC2 proteins. Our results suggest that LjCYC3/VrCYC3 orthologs play conserved roles determining the lateral petal shape and identity of zygomorphic flower as well as asymmetric flower in Papilionoideae.

The need for weeds: Man-made, non-cropped habitats complement crops and natural habitats in providing honey bees and bumble bees with pollen resources

In Europe, honey bees and bumble bees are among the most important pollinators, and there is a growing interest in understanding the effects of floral resource availability on their survival. Yet, to date, data on nectar and pollen supplies available to bees in agricultural landscapes are still scarce. In this paper, we quantify species-, habitat- and landscape-scale pollen production in the Lublin Upland, SE Poland. The production per unit area was highest (mean = 2.2–2.6 g/m2) in non-forest woody vegetation, field margins and fallows, whilst significantly lower pollen amounts were shown to be available in road verges and railway embankments (mean = 1.3–1.6 g/m2). At landscape scale, natural and semi-natural areas (forests and meadows/pastures) offered ca. 44% of the total pollen resources during the year. Relatively high amounts of pollen (ca. 35% of the year-round total pollen resources) were from winter rape, but this resource was short-term. Man-made, non-cropped habitats added only ca. 18% of the total pollen mass offered for pollinators during flowering season. However, they provided 66–99% of pollen resources available from July to October. There exists an imbalance in the availability of pollen resources throughout the year. Hence, a diversity of natural, semi-natural and man-made, non-cropped areas is required to support the seasonal continuity of pollen resources for pollinators in an agricultural landscape. Efforts should be made to secure habitat heterogeneity to enhance the flower diversity and continual pollen availability for pollinators.

Adventitious Shoot Regeneration from Leaf Explants in Sinningia Hybrida 'Isa's Murmur'.

As a valuable ornamental plant, Sinningia hybrida ‘Isa’s Murmur’ (S. hybrida) has genetic flower diversity, which has great potential to develop different flower characters in the horticultural market. The present study focuses on establishing a practical approach for the sustainable propagation of S. hybrida. Compared with aseptic seeding leaves explants, field-grown leaves explants are more suitable for adventitious shoot regeneration. Adding 0.1 mg L−1 NAA and 2.0 mg L−1 TDZ could obtain the highest adventitious shoot proliferation coefficient (24.5), and the induction rate was 91.7%. The shoot proliferation coefficient (20.7) and the greatest shoot length and induction rate (95.3%) were achieved in 0.1 mg L−1 NAA and 2.0 mg L−1 BA medium, accompanied by rooting formation. Adding 0.5 mg L−1 GA3, 1.0 mg L−1 BA, and 0.2 mg L−1 IBA to MS medium can effectively prolong the regenerated buds for rooting. The best for rooting was 1/2 MS medium containing 0.3 mg L−1 IBA, with the maximum number of roots (13.4 per shoot) and survival rate for transplanting (100%). This work aims to build an efficient, definitive, and scalable protocol for S. hybrida regeneration useful for large-scale cultivation and even more protoplast fusion and genetic transformation to develop more colorful or fragrant flowers.

Pollinator guilds respond contrastingly at different scales to landscape parameters of land-use intensity.

Land‐use intensification is the main factor for the catastrophic decline of insect pollinators. However, land‐use intensification includes multiple processes that act across various scales and should affect pollinator guilds differently depending on their ecology. We aimed to reveal how two main pollinator guilds, wild bees and hoverflies, respond to different land‐use intensification measures, that is, arable field cover (AFC), landscape heterogeneity (LH), and functional flower composition of local plant communities as a measure of habitat quality. We sampled wild bees and hoverflies on 22 dry grassland sites within a highly intensified landscape (NE Germany) within three campaigns using pan traps. We estimated AFC and LH on consecutive radii (60–3000 m) around the dry grassland sites and estimated the local functional flower composition. Wild bee species richness and abundance was positively affected by LH and negatively by AFC at small scales (140–400 m). In contrast, hoverflies were positively affected by AFC and negatively by LH at larger scales (500–3000 m), where both landscape parameters were negatively correlated to each other. At small spatial scales, though, LH had a positive effect on hoverfly abundance. Functional flower diversity had no positive effect on pollinators, but conspicuous flowers seem to attract abundance of hoverflies. In conclusion, landscape parameters contrarily affect two pollinator guilds at different scales. The correlation of landscape parameters may influence the observed relationships between landscape parameters and pollinators. Hence, effects of land‐use intensification seem to be highly landscape‐specific.

Flower diversity and pollination strategy in Araceae

Flower diversity and pollination strategy in Araceae