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Absence of pollinators and apomictic fruit production in an Atlantic rainforest population of Cymbopetalum brasiliense (Annonaceae)

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Abstract

Breeding system and pollination biology of an isolated population of Cymbopetalum brasiliense (Annonaceae), a large-flowered understory tree, was studied during two consecutive flowering seasons in October/November 2007 and September/October 2008. Flowers were morphologically comparable to other Cymbopetalum species and generally to other Annonaceae taxa adapted to pollination by large beetles, such as Annona spp. Flowers were thermogenic and emitted a strong scent during the pistillate and staminate flowering phases. Heating of the floral chamber was most intense during the pistillate phase between 1800 and 1900 h (up to 6°C difference to air temperature). Floral scent consisted almost entirely of p-methylanisole. None of the 133 flowers examined during two seasons received any visitation by dynastid beetles or other potential pollinators. Lycaenid larvae (Oenomaus ortygnus) attacked buds and flowers in both flowering seasons and destroyed about 20% of all buds in the 2007 season. Fruit set was high (72% of nonpredated flowers in 2007), despite the absence of pollinators. Field experiments showed that agamospermic reproduction rather than self-pollination was most likely responsible for fruit production. The study reports a probable case of apomixis, which would be the first in the Annonaceae family.

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Acknowledgments

This paper is a contribution to the project “Sustainability of remnants of the Atlantic Rainforest in Pernambuco and its implications for conservation and local development,” a Brazilian-German scientific cooperation within the program “Science and Technology for the Atlantic Rainforest,” funded by the Brazilian Research Council CNPq (590039/2006-7) and the German Ministry of Research and Development BMBF (01 LB 0203 A1). The authors thank Usina São José S.A./Grupo Cavalcanti Petribú for permission to carry out fieldwork and for logistical support. We are greatful to Holger Teichert for help with fieldwork, and to two anonymous reviewers who improved the manuscript considerably.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany

    Marcus Braun

  2. Department of Plant Systematics, University of Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    Stefan Dötterl

  3. Botanical Garden and Herbarium, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany

    Gerhard Gottsberger

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  1. Marcus Braun
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  2. Stefan Dötterl
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  3. Gerhard Gottsberger
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Correspondence to Marcus Braun.

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Braun, M., Dötterl, S. & Gottsberger, G. Absence of pollinators and apomictic fruit production in an Atlantic rainforest population of Cymbopetalum brasiliense (Annonaceae). Plant Syst Evol 296, 265–273 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-011-0493-4

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