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Inter- and Intraspecific Variation in Floral Scent in the Genus Salix and its Implication for Pollination

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Abstract

The floral scent composition of 32 European and two Asian Salix L. species (Salicaceae) was analyzed. Intra- and interspecific variation was compared for a subset of 8 species. All Salix species are dioecious and floral scent was collected from both male and female individuals by using a dynamic headspace MicroSPE method, and analyzed by GC-MS. A total of 48 compounds were detected, most of them being isoprenoids and benzenoids. Commonly occurring compounds included trans-β-ocimene, cis-β-ocimene, benzaldehyde, d-limonene, α-pinene, cis-3-hexenyl aceatate, linalool, 1,4-dimethoxybenzene, and β-pinene. Two compounds, 1,4-dimethoxybenzene and trans-β-ocimene, were responsible for most of the interspecific variation. In a subset of eight extensively sampled species, six had a characteristic floral scent composition; half of the pairwise species comparisons confirmed significant differences. In three of these eight species, intraspecific variability could be explained by sex differences. Variation in Salix floral scent may provide specific signals that guide pollinators and thus contribute to the reproductive isolation of compatible and cooccurring species.

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Acknowledgements

Parts of the study were supported by the German Research Foundation (Research Training Group 678). The authors thank F. Beyer and I. Schäffler for floral scent collection, and A. Lieflaender, A. Reuter, M. Suckling, T. Witt, and two anonymous reviewers for valuable comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecological–Botanical Garden, University of Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    Ulrike Füssel & Gregor Aas

  2. Department of Plant Systematics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    Stefan Dötterl

  3. HortResearch, Canterbury Research Centre, PO Box 51, Lincoln, 8152, New Zealand

    Andreas Jürgens

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  1. Ulrike Füssel
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  2. Stefan Dötterl
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  3. Andreas Jürgens
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  4. Gregor Aas
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Correspondence to Ulrike Füssel.

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Füssel, U., Dötterl, S., Jürgens, A. et al. Inter- and Intraspecific Variation in Floral Scent in the Genus Salix and its Implication for Pollination. J Chem Ecol 33, 749–765 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9257-6

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