Abstract
Prasophyllum odoratum is a vernal, nectariferous, terrestrial orchid that flowers profusely six to eight months following cyclical fires that disrupt sclerophyll woodlands. The morphology of the column and pollinarium is indicative of taxa placed within the subfam.Spiranthoideae. The orientation of the pollinaria to the stigma appears to prevent mechanical self-pollination. Both cross- and self-pollination appear to be effected by insects that forage within the brightly-colored, scented, non-resupinate flowers. Ants and drosophilid flies remove nectar, but do not appear to transport pollinaria between flowers. The primary pollinators are polytrophic flies in the fam.Syrphidae and opportunistic male bees in the genusLeioproctus (Colletidae). Approximately 52% of the flowers on a raceme set seed. The comparatively short floral tube ofP. odoratum reflects the dependence of this species on short-tongued insects to effect successful dispersal of pollinaria.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Armstrong, J. A., 1979: Biotic pollination mechanisms in the Australian flora—a review. — New Zealand J. Bot.17, 467–508.
Bates, R., 1978: Pollination in orchids 9. — Native orchid Society of South Australia Newsletter3, 9–10.
—, 1984: Pollination ofPrasophyllum elatum R. Br. — The Orchadian10, 14–17.
—, 1980: A putative hybrid betweenPrasophyllum archeri andP. despectans. — The Orchadian6, 188–189.
Beardsell, D., 1975: Remnants of aDiuris series at Warrandyte. — Vict. Nat.92, 244–246.
—, 1983: Pollination Biology of Australian terrestrial orchids. — InWilliams, E. G., Knox, R. B., Gilbert, J. H., Bernhardt, P., (Eds.): Pollination '82. — Parkville, Victoria: Univ. of Melbourne Press.
Bernhardt, P., Kenrick, J., Knox, R. B., 1984: Pollination biology and the breeding system ofAcacia retinodes (Leguminosae:Mimosoidae). — Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard.71, 17–29.
—, 1986: Floral mimesis inThelymitra nuda — Pl. Syst. Evol.151, 187–202.
Burns-Balogh, P., 1982: Generic redefinition in subtribeSpiranthinae (Orchidaceae). — Amer. J. Bot.69, 1119–1132.
—, 1983: A theory on the evolution of the exine inOrchidaceae. — Amer. J. Bot.70, 1304–1312.
—, 1984: AustralianDiurideae, I. subtribePrasophyllinae. — Selbyana7, 318–327.
-Funk, V. A., 1985: A phylogenetic analysis of theOrchidaceae. — Smithsonian Contributions to Botany61.
Cady, L., Rotherham, E. R., 1970: Australian Native Orchids in Color. — Tokyo: C. Tuttle & Co.
Calder, D. M., Adams, P. B., Slater, A. T., 1982: The floral biology and breeding system ofDendrobium speciosum Sm. — InWilliams, E. G., Knox, R. B., Gilbert, J. H., Bernhardt, P., (Eds.): Pollination '82, pp. 184–192. — Parkville, Victoria: Univ. of Melbourne Press.
Coleman, E., 1933: Pollination of orchids: genusPrasophyllum. — Vict. Nat.49, 214–221.
Dvies, P., Davies, J., Huxley, A., 1983: Wild Orchids of Britain and Europe. — London: Chatto & Windus.
Dressler, R. L., 1981: The Orchids, Natural history and Classification. — Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press.
Erickson, R., 1978: Orchids of the West. — Nedlands: Univ. of Western Australia Press.
Heberle, R., 1982:Caladenia in Western Australia and natural hybridization. — The Orchadian7, 78–83.
Hoffman, N., Brown, A., 1984: Orchids of South-West Australia. — Nedlands: Univ. of Western Australia Press.
Jones, D., 1970: Unique perfume inPrasophyllum fimbriatum R. Br. — Vict. Nat.87, 328.
—, 1972: The self-pollination ofPrasophyllum beaugleholei W. H. Nichols. — Vict. Nat.89, 144–146.
Luer, C., 1972: The Native Orchids of Florida. — New York: New York Botanical Garden.
—, 1975: The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada, excluding Florida. — New York: New York Botanical Garden.
Michener, C. D., 1979: Biogeography of the bees. — Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard.66, 277–347.
Nicholls, W. H., 1969: Orchids of Australia. — Sydney: T. Nelson Ltd.
Sprecht, R. K., Rose, E. M., Boughton, V. H., 1974: Conservation of major plant communities in Australia and Papua New Guinea. — Austral. J. Bot. Suppl. Ser.7, 1–667.
Stoutamire, W., 1974: Australian terrestrial orchids, thynnid wasps and pseudocopulation. — Amer. Orch. Soc. Bull.44, 226–233.
Willis, J. H., 1970: A Handbook to Plants in Victoria. Vol. 1. — Victoria: Melbourne Univ. Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bernhardt, P., Burns-Balogh, P. Observations of the floral biology ofPrasophyllum odoratum (Orchidaceae, Spiranthoideae). Pl Syst Evol 153, 65–76 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00989418
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00989418