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Pollen flow and post-pollination barriers in two varieties of Dactylorhiza incarnata s.l. (Orchidaceae)

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Abstract

Dactylorhiza orchids are known for their high variation in morphology and distinct varieties have been named in D. incarnata s.l. However, it is not known how these varieties interact in mixed populations and why they remain stable. We conducted three field experiments in West-Estonian populations of D. incarnata to examine if the two most common varieties co-occurring these are separated from each other either by pre-pollination or post-pollination reproductive barriers. We found that pollinia were far more frequently transferred between the purple-flowered var. incarnata and the pale-flowered var. ochroleuca than between plants of the same variety. Furthermore, in hand-pollination and germination experiments concerning the same two varieties, we found that pollen source (self-pollination, within- or between-varieties pollination) did not affect seed production or probability of fungus infection of the germinating seeds. These two varieties of D. incarnata thus had no pre-pollination or early functioning post-pollination reproductive barriers. Post-pollination barriers may, however, act later in seedling or adult stage.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Taavi Tuulik for guiding us in Hiiumaa, and the Environmental authorities of Estonia for permissions needed for the field studies. This study has been financially supported by the Academy of Finland and the University of Jyväskylä (EV, VS), Estonian Academy of Science (EV) and the Estonian Science Foundation (grant 6044 to TK). This study was conducted with the permission from the Estonian Environmental authorities (Eesti Keskkonnaministeeriumi) for conducting experiments with a protected plant species, and local authorities of Hiiumaa (Hiiumaa Keskkonnateenistus) for research work in protected areas. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for the comments that greatly improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Elisa Vallius & Veikko Salonen

  2. Department of Botany, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Science, Kreutzwaldi 64, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    Tiiu Kull

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  1. Elisa Vallius
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  2. Veikko Salonen
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  3. Tiiu Kull
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Correspondence to Elisa Vallius.

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Vallius, E., Salonen, V. & Kull, T. Pollen flow and post-pollination barriers in two varieties of Dactylorhiza incarnata s.l. (Orchidaceae). Plant Syst Evol 274, 171–178 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-008-0045-8

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