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Breeding system of the subantarctic plant species Pringlea antiscorbutica R. Br. and search for potential insect pollinators in the Kerguelen Islands

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Abstract

The reproductive biology of Pringlea antiscorbutica R. Br. (Brassicaceae), an endemic species from the southern Indian Ocean islands, is investigated here. Controlled crosses were performed between plants grown in a common garden on the Kerguelen Islands. Searching for potential insect pollinators, we investigated the flying ability of all insects known from the Kerguelen Islands. We showed evidence for self-compatibility, low pollen limitation in the absence of a biotic pollen vector and slight selfing depression in P. antiscorbutica. The insects present on the islands are mostly wingless and are not likely to be efficient pollinators of this species. Since P. antiscorbutica shows morphological adaptations to insect pollination despite the absence of pollinators in its present range, we conclude that this species recently evolved from insect pollination to wind and/or autonomous pollination.

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Acknowledgements

This work was initiated by a grant by UMR 6553 CNRS/University of Rennes 1. Experiments on Kerguelen were supported by the French Polar Institute (Programmes 340, 136 and 407) and the CNRS. We thank R. Douce for coordination of programme 340, J. Leneveu for efficient and meticulous work in Kerguelen, V. Quidelleur and F. Quemmerais for the preliminary experiments, N. Schermann for help with data analysis. We are very grateful to M. Lebouvier and Y. Frenot for their coordination between Rennes and Kerguelen. We thank two anonymous reviewers for useful comments on a previous version of the manuscript, A. Cloarec and R. H. Britton for English improvement.

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  1. UMR ECOBIO 6553, CNRS, University of Rennes 1, Campus de Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France

    Agnès Schermann-Legionnet, Françoise Hennion & Anne Atlan

  2. UMR ECOBIO 6553, CNRS, University of Rennes 1, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France

    Philippe Vernon

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  1. Agnès Schermann-Legionnet
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Correspondence to Agnès Schermann-Legionnet.

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Schermann-Legionnet, A., Hennion, F., Vernon, P. et al. Breeding system of the subantarctic plant species Pringlea antiscorbutica R. Br. and search for potential insect pollinators in the Kerguelen Islands. Polar Biol 30, 1183–1193 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-007-0275-1

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