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Dimorphisms and self-incompatibility in the distylous species Palicourea demissa (Rubiaceae): possible implications for its reproductive output

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Abstract

Distyly has been interpreted as a mechanism that favors cross-fertilization. In this research we describe floral attributes and ancillary floral polymorphisms typically associated to heterostylous plants in Palicourea demissa (Rubiaceae), a distylous shrub of the Venezuelan Andes cloud forests. A hand-pollination experiment was done to evaluate self- and intramorph incompatibility and female reproductive output in both floral morphs. The studied population was morphologically distylous but morph differences in most ancillary floral polymorphisms and reciprocity of the sexual organ heights were found. The floral morphs were self-incompatible and did not differ in fruit set under controlled cross-pollination conditions, but at the population level they exhibited imperfect reciprocal herkogamy. Fruits and seeds of short-styled plants were larger than those of long-styled plants and fruit set was higher in short-styled plants under natural conditions, suggesting a higher reproductive potential among short-styled plants. Given the 1:1 morph ratio within the studied population, further evidence is needed to determine the influence of floral visitors and seed dispersers in the expression of heterostyly in P. demissa under natural conditions.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Z Betancourt, C Rengífo, JH Castaño and J Murillo, ME Naranjo, J Estrada, C García, FU Ely and N Ramírez. This research was supported by the Red Latinoamericana de Botánica (Code: RLB06-M03 and RLB08-SP-1) and the Consejo de Desarrollo Científico, Humanístico y Tecnológico, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida-Venezuela (Code: C-1557-08-01EM). Staff from the Estación Ornitológica La Mucuy, Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada, and the Laboratorio de Ecología Animal “A” of the Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida-Venezuela provided logistical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Biología con énfasis en Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó, A. A 292, Quibdó, Chocó, Colombia

    Hamleth Valois-Cuesta

  2. Postgrado en Ecología Tropical, Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, 5101, Venezuela

    Pascual J. Soriano

  3. Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología A.C, Carretera antigua a Coatepec No. 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91070, México

    Juan Francisco Ornelas

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  1. Hamleth Valois-Cuesta
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  2. Pascual J. Soriano
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Correspondence to Hamleth Valois-Cuesta.

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Valois-Cuesta, H., Soriano, P.J. & Ornelas, J.F. Dimorphisms and self-incompatibility in the distylous species Palicourea demissa (Rubiaceae): possible implications for its reproductive output. J Plant Res 124, 137–146 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-010-0359-9

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