Are Phenological Observations Sufficient to Estimate the Quality of Seed Crops from a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus grandis</Emphasis> Open-pollinated Seed Orchard? Consequences for Seed Collections

Reproductive phenology was observed over three years in a Eucalyptus grandis seed orchard in Madagascar to determine the impact of geographic differences of parental selections on the expected genetic composition of seed crops. Pollen flow (observed pollen cloud) was deduced from a paternity assignment based on sampling from one year’s seed production. The two approaches were used to verify whether knowledge of phenology is sufficient to predict the genetic quality of the seeds collected. Despite the high flowering level, with a constant cycle over three years, the results demonstrated wide reproductive phenological differences associated with the parents’ origin, suggesting putative pollination disequilibrium. From both observed and expected pollen clouds, the results showed preferential mating among different provenances, which has consequences for seed crop composition. Phenological observations, which can be made inexpensively, can be used to promote methods of effective seed orchard management in order to improve the genetic quality of seeds.     

Low rates of pollen contamination in a Scots pine seed orchard in Sweden: the exception or the norm?

We investigated mating structure and gene flow in a clonal seed orchard of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) over three consecutive pollination seasons (2010–2012) with nine nuclear microsatellite markers. The paternity of 1991 offspring from four maternal parents was assigned to 28 candidate fathers using an exclusion procedure and a likelihood-based method implemented in the program CERVUS. Relative reproductive success was highly variable among pollen parents but consistent across years and ranged from 0.1% to 18.3%. Consequently, the seed crops’ effective number of fathers was reduced to 52.9%, 48.8%, and 45.7% of the census in the three seasons, respectively. Self-fertilization fluctuated around the orchard's expected value of 5.1%, reaching 4.05%, 7.71%, and 6.61%, respectively. Pollen contamination was estimated to be 5.64%, 7.29%, and 4.89%, respectively, after correction for cryptic gene flow. CERVUS provided similar results as the exclusion method, but estimates greatly varied depending on the input parameters, mainly the proportion of fathers sampled. These results indicate the studied seed orchard is a well-functioning production population with only minor negative effects of self-fertilization and pollen contamination on the quality of seed crops. Genotyping issues associated with microsatellites as a potential source of false paternity assignment and exclusion are discussed.     

Reproductive biology of the critically endangered tropical tree Talbotiella gentii

Talbotiella gentii is a critically endangered caesalpiniaceous legume endemic to Ghana, restricted in distribution to the margins of the forest zone where there has been extensive fire damage in recent decades. It occurs as isolated, near-monospecific populations, some of which show little seedling regeneration. We studied its reproduction to determine limitations that might inform efforts to prevent its extinction. We report on flowering phenology, pollen dispersal and germination, fruit and seed set, seed size and germination, and seedling survival, using controlled and open pollination. Talbotiella gentii flowers profusely in most years. Although the flowers are coloured and scented, no animal pollinators were observed but pollen can be dispersed by wind. In open pollination, the number of pollen grains on stigmas and their germination was sufficient to fertilise the three ovules, despite competition from heavy stigmatic infestation by fungal spores and hyphae. Fruit set and seed set were low due to high flower losses and fruit abortion during development but ripe seeds showed high germination. Controlled pollination experiments (self, supplemented self, and intra- and inter-population crosses) showed that, while the species is self-compatible, selfing was the least successful treatment in all of the above steps of reproduction, whereas cross-pollination enhanced most steps, the more so for inter-population crosses. Seed size was notably greater in inter-population crosses and was positively correlated with genetic distance of the cross. The larger seeds associated with cross-pollination showed higher germination and seedling survival in the nursery. We conclude that limitations to natural reproduction in T. gentii are principally due to processes between pollen germination and fruit and seed set, including pollen quality (low genetic diversity and inbreeding), fertilisation rates, flower and fruit abortion, and resource limitation. Low seed size in open and self pollination may have implications for seedling establishment. Species fitness might be improved by introducing other genotypes to existing populations, but in situ protection of the populations is essential in the medium term.     

Reduction of pollen contamination in Scots pine seed orchard crop by tent isolation

This study examined the differences in mating system between indoor versus outdoor Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seed orchard using DNA markers. By analyzing the paternities in seed crops from isolation tents, we found a significant reduction in contamination rate, from 23% in the outdoor open blocks to 0% inside the tents. Increase in selfing rate and a decrease in genetic diversity in the crops were also observed inside the tents. These undesirable effects can be mitigated to some extent by the supplementation of extra pollen genotypes, e.g. selfing rate decreased from 14.4% to 6.6% and the effective number of fathers increased from 6 to 11.4 in the tents without and with supplemental mass pollination, respectively. Our study showed that tent isolation may become an effective rescuer for seed orchards where pollen contamination is severe.     

Pollination dynamics in a Douglas-fir seed orchard as revealed by pedigree reconstruction

• ? Pollination dynamics was studied in a Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seed orchard using 8 nuclear microsatellite markers and pedigree reconstruction.
• ? The seed orchard consisted of 49 parents (clones). Cone-crop management included bloom delay and supplemental mass pollination (SMP) using 12 internal and 4 external pollen donors.
• ? A random sample of 801 bulk seeds was genotyped for both haploid megagametophyte and corresponding diploid embryo.
• ? Using the parental population’s multilocus genotypes, full pedigree reconstruction generated all the information needed to estimate the maternal, paternal, and parental reproductive success, selfing, pollen contamination, and pollination success of the 4 external pollen donors.
• ? Maternal, paternal, and parental reproductive success varied with 80% of gametes being produced by 23, 45, and 37% of the orchard’s parents, respectively, resulting in a drastically reduced effective population size as compared to the census number (14 vs. 53).
• ? Selfing, pollen contamination, and aggregate SMP success (internal and external) were estimated to be 15.2, 10.4, and 15.0%, respectively.
• ? Full pedigree reconstruction was effective in unraveling the orchard’s pollination dynamics and both female and male reproductive success.

     

林木种子园生殖系统研究进展

本文对种子园生殖系统中亲本开花物候、配子产量、球果和种子败育、授粉机制、球花分布对种子园遗传效率的影响及其研究进展作了综述。论述了开花物候、球花产量与配子贡献以及种子园生殖系统遗传效率的关系。不同亲本开花物候及授粉机制的差异限制了亲本之间的基因交流 ,雌雄球花产量、球果败育及其雌雄球花空间分布的差异都会引起亲本配子贡献的变化 ,并最终影响种子园生殖系统的遗传效率。为提高种子园种子的遗传品质和遗传多样性 ,更系统深入地研究种子园生殖系统是必要的     

Mating System and Pollen Contamination in a Pinus brutia Seed Orchard

Mating system parameters and pollen contamination were estimated in an 11-year-old Pinus brutia Ten. clonal seed orchard, located in Antalya, Turkey, with the aid of isozymes. Isozyme analysis was performed on both maternal (megagametophyte) and embryo tissues of seeds collected from the seed orchard and the surrounding natural stand. Fourteen loci encoding nine enzyme systems were assayed. Based on a multilocus estimator, the proportion of viable seeds originating from outcrossing (tˆ_m) in the seed orchard was found to be 0.947; the remainder (0.053) was due to selfing. We estimated that 85.7% of the orchard seed resulted from pollen contamination by trees in surrounding stands. This may be related to the young age and subsequent low pollen production of the orchard. Only 9% [i.e., 1.0−0.857 (contamination)−0.053 (selfing) = 0.090] of the orchard offspring was due to cross-pollination among clones within the orchard. Due to the high level of pollen contamination, it is estimated that genetic gain in this seed crop is less than 57% of that expected if all offspring resulted from random mating among orchard clones (i.e., no contamination).     

Optimization of genetic gain and diversity in seed orchard crops considering variation in seed germination

Abstract

Balancing genetic gain and diversity in seed orchard crops is of a major regeneration importance. Here we extend our earlier work on the development of an optimization protocol that maximizes crops' genetic gain at any predefined diversity level, considering parental reproductive output, co-ancestry, and inbreeding, by incorporating variation in seed germination as an input. Variation in seed germination capacity substantially affected seedlots' genetic diversity by either under- or overestimating their effective population size; however, genetic gains were robust and their differences were negligible. The contrasting results of gain and diversity support the inclusion of the germination capacity, when available, in the optimization protocol.     

Congruence between theory and practice: reduced contamination rate following phenotypic pre-selection within the Breeding without Breeding framework

Wind-pollinated seed orchards are often subjected to pollen intrusion from outside pollen sources. When wind-pollinated seed orchards seed are used to establish progeny trials, the offspring is expected to harbour varying proportion sired by outside sources. Theoretically the magnitude of selection differential between the orchard's population and the contaminant pollen sources will affect the proportion of offspring resulting from outside pollen sources matings. If phenotypic pre-selection is implemented through selecting the top phenotypically ranked individuals from these progeny trials, then it is expected that the proportion of individuals sired by outside pollen sources will be lower within the pre-selected vs. unselected individuals. Here, we present empirical data from two Scots pine progeny trials supporting these theoretical expectations. The observed reduced contamination rate among fingerprinted elite offspring was 3.9 and 4.2%, suggesting a significant reduction in comparison to reported contamination rates between 21 and 70% in Scots pine. Results provide support to the proposed phenotypic pre-selection during the implementation of Breeding without Breeding scheme.     

Density-dependent selfing and its effects on seed performance in a tropical canopy tree species, Shorea acuminata (Dipterocarpaceae)

In the conservation and management practices of natural forests, sound reproduction and regeneration form the basis of the maintenance and viability of the tree populations. To obtain and serve biological information for sustainable forest management, we investigated reproductive biology and inbreeding depression in seeds of an important dipterocarp tree species, Shorea acuminata (Dipterocarpaceae), by both field and laboratory experiments. Results of parental analysis of immature and mature seeds showed that selfing rates varied greatly, from 7.6 to 88.4% among eight mother trees, and the mean overall selfing rate was 38.3%. Observed outcrossing events within a 40-ha study plot were predominantly (76.5%) short-distance events with a mating distance (md) ≤ 100 m. Since the selfing rate sharply decreased with increase in the number of flowering conspecifics (i.e., individuals of the same species) within a 100-m radius from the mother trees, the local density of flowering conspecifics appears to be the key factor determining the outcrossing rate in S. acuminata. However, the extremely high selfing rate (88.4%) observed for one tree could not be simply explained by the low local density of flowering conspecifics. Instead, differences in its flowering phenology (its flowering peaked ca. a week earlier than most of the other examined individuals) may have severely limited its receipt of pollen from other conspecifics, and thus promoted selfing. Since there were no significant differences in the proportion of selfed progeny between immature and mature seed stages, there was no evidence of selective abortion of selfed seeds during seed development. However, the seed mass of outcrossed progeny was heavier than that of selfed progeny, and heavier seeds showed higher success rates at germination and seedling establishment. These results suggest that inbreeding depression resulted in reductions in seed mass and may reduce the fitness of selfed seeds in S. acuminata. In addition, the outcrossing rate of S. acuminata was more sensitive to low local conspecific flowering-tree densities than that of a sympatric bee-pollinated dipterocarp species with greater pollination distances. These results suggest that the management of local adult-tree densities is important for avoiding selfing and inbreeding depression in future generations, especially in a species like S. acuminata with predominantly short-distance pollination.     

Effects of selective logging on the mating system and pollen dispersal of Hymenaea courbaril L. (Leguminosae) in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon as revealed by microsatellite analysis

Using nine microsatellite loci, we studied the effects of selective logging on genetic diversity, mating system and pollen dispersal in a population of the tree species Hymenaea courbaril, located in a 546 ha plot in the Tapajós National Forest, Pará State, Brazil. We analyzed 250 offspring (nursery reared seedlings) collected after a logging episode from 14 open-pollinated seed trees. These were compared to 367 seedlings from 20 open-pollinated seed trees previously collected from the pre-logging primary forest. The genetic diversity was significantly lower in the post-logging seed cohort. In contrast to the pre-logging population, significant levels of selfing were detected in the post-logging population (t_m = 0.962, P < 0.05). However, correlated matings were reduced and the effective number of pollen donors almost doubled after harvesting (3.8 against 7.2). Logging also reduced pollen immigration into the plot (from 55% to 38%) and we found no significant correlation between the size of the pollen donors and the number of seeds fathered. Inside the plot, pollen dispersal distance was shorter before logging than after (827 and 952 m, respectively) and the reproductive pollination neighbor area (A_ep) was larger (average of 178 ha). The individual and average variance effective population size within families (ranged from 1.80 to 3.21, average of 2.47) was lower than expected in panmictic populations (N_e = 4). The results indicate that while logging greatly reduced the levels of genetic diversity after logging, it also increased genetic recombination within the population and constrained crossing among related individuals. The results show that low-density tropical tree species such as H. courbaril, when harvested in moderate levels may be resilient to a reduction in the reproductive population and may maintain similar levels of outcrossing and pollen dispersal after logging.     

马尾松二代无性系种子园的花期同步性

【目的】研究马尾松二代种子园无性系的开花物候特征、花期同步性、结实状况及气候影响因子,评价无性系花期同步性规律,指导种子园经营生产及提高种子遗传品质与产量。【方法】连续2年对浙江省淳安县姥山林场马尾松二代无性系矮化种子园的22个无性系进行花期、花量和结实性状调查,分析其开花物候与花期同步指数。【结果】各无性系雌雄球花整体花期持续时间为8～17天, 2014年始花期相对于2013年滞后约6天,且持续时间缩短约6天。整体水平上,年度内雌球花及雄球花的各花期时长差异较小;无性系的始花期和盛花期的物候特征年度间存在差异, 2014年无性系内雌雄球花开花的同步性更强。无性系的开花物候受气候因素影响较大,这使得无性系间开花同步程度降低,花期同步指数变异增加, 2013年和2014年花期同步指数变化范围分别为0.041～0.556和0.284～0.802,无性系的平均变异系数分别为32.3%和16.8%。各无性系分别作为父、母本时,年度内无性系花期整体同步性水平差异较小,表现出无性系作为父本时的散粉期整体的同步性要高于作为母本时的可授粉期的同步性。年度间无性系作为父、母本及自交的花期同步指数均有极显著差异, 2014年各无性系的花期同步指数在整体水平均高于2013年,但自交指数在年度间无显著差异。相关分析表明,雌球花越多的无性系的球果数越多;而雌球花花期持续时间越长的无性系座果率越高;不同年度的雌球花盛花期和花期的持续时间均与千粒质量指标呈显著或极显著正相关。【结论】浙江姥山林场马尾松二代无性系种子园雌、雄球花的花期具有较好的同步性,无性系间没有出现花期不遇现象。无性系交配组合的雌球花可授粉期和雄球花的散粉期影响了种子园无性系的种实品质及座果率。连续2年的观测表明无性系间花期整体同步性水平存在差异,且这种差异与二代种子园无性系的亲本遗传背景有关。各无性系分别作为父、母本时,表现出无性系作为父本时的散粉期整体的同步性要高于作为母本时的可授粉期的同步性,无性系作为父本和母本时花期同步指数呈负相关,且种子园内存在1/3无性系具有高于异交平均水平的自交可能性,是马尾松二代种子园管理和无性系再选择应综合考虑的因素。     

马尾松二代种子园无性系开花物候观测

[目的]在用材林高世代种子园建园材料选择时,最初重点考虑的是其速生性,而对优树的开花物候关注较少。在高世代种子园营建时,无性系的配置常根据其种源在大范围内考虑其开花物候的遗传因素,但即使是小范围内相同种源的无性系,其开花物候也不可能绝对同步。因此,了解种子园无性系的开花物候,可为种子园的集约经营、产量预测、种子遗传品质调控等提供依据。[方法]于2012—2013年,在桂阳县苗圃马尾松二代种子园Ⅰ大区、Ⅴ大区分别随机选取不同类型的无性系10个和25个,对其开花物候进行观测。[结果]表明:不同无性系的雌、雄球花花期起止日期和持续时间均有差异,但无性系间雌、雄球花花期值差异均未达显著水平,35个无性系总体雌、雄球花花期具有一定的同步性;35个无性系雌、雄球花的初花期基本同步,雌、雄球花的盛花期和末花期同步。株间花期差异相对于无性间要大,但雄球花花期较早的植株,其雌球花花期也较早,同一株建园亲本的雌、雄球花花期有一定的同步性。除雌球花的末花期与雄球花的初花期呈微弱负相关外,雌、雄球花的初花期、盛花期、末花期间均呈极显著或显著正相关。各花期的相关性呈现初花期和盛花期的相关盛花期和末花期的相关初花期和末花期的相关,雌球花初花期与雄球花初花期的相关系数最大。坡位对母树的花期有极显著影响,生长在不同坡位的植株,其雌、雄球花花期值差异明显,其大小均为上坡中坡下坡。坡位对花期影响最大的是雌球花的初花期,其次是雄球花的初花期、雌球花的盛花期、雄球花的盛花期,而对雌、雄球花的末花期影响最小。偏北产地无性系的花期相对较早,不同的无性系类型,其雄球花的盛花期和雌球花的初花期的差异显著;雄球花的初花期、末花期以及雌球花的盛花期和末花期差异均不显著。不同的年份,雌、雄球花花期的早晚差异很大,2012年最早初花期较2013年最早初花期早25 d。[结论]桂阳马尾松二代种子园35个无性系总体雌、雄球花花期具有较好的同步性;从开花物候方面考虑,该种子园建园材料选择较合理,对种子园种子产量和遗传品质没有影响。     

Genetic variation in fruitfulness in a hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl.) seed orchard and its impact on the maintenance of genetic diversity in seedlots

Genetic variation in seed/cone production among clones was studied in a hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl.) seed orchard containing 25 plus-trees by analyzing the number of cones, the yield of cones and seeds of individual ramets for 5 successive years (1982 to 1986). There was significant variation among clones each year and parental contribution in the seed orchard. Specifically, in the years 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986, 20% of the clones produced 37.2, 60.6, 36.0, 44.3, and 44.8% of the total cones, respectively. The size of the crop greatly influenced the parental balance in the resulting seed/cone crops. The product moment correlation coefficients and Spearman’s coefficients of rank correlation were small and insignificant between consecutive years, but large and highly significant between alternate years, suggesting the presence of carry-over effects in seed/cone production. The broad-sense heritability on a clone mean basis was 0.74 ± 0.15 for the number of cones, 0.72 ± 0.14 for the yield of cones, and 0.68 ± 0.13 for the yield of seeds. The corresponding heritabilities from analyses combined over all years were 0.24, 0.558, and 0.724, respectively. These results indicate that seed/cone production in hinoki is under strong genetic control. Several managerial measures are discussed that maintain the genetic diversity in seedlots used for reforestation, by reducing the variation in seed/cone production among clones and producing seed crops with equal contributions from all parents.     

Background pollination in Pinus sylvestris seed orchards

The proportion of background pollen grains in the seed crops of two Pinus sylvestris seed orchards in Central Finland was estimated with the aid of multilocus allozyme markers. The orchards studied were more than 30 years old and in full pollen production. For the bulked seed crops of the seed orchard with southern clones the estimated average of background pollination over four years was 26%. There were statistically significant differences between years. No significant heterogeneity in the degree of background pollination between clones was found. Among single ramets there was significant heterogeneity in the estimated contamination rates, but the variation was not related to position in the orchard. For the seed orchard with northern clones the bulked seed crop was studied only for one year and the level of background pollination was found to be 33 %. These estimates are fairly high, but lower than for many other orchards. Background pollination at this level will cause losses in expected genetic gains. Part of the seeds from northern orchards will not be adapted to the intended area of use.     

Elevated temperature during reproductive development affects cone traits and progeny performance in Picea glauca x engelmannii complex

Two temperature regimes were applied during reproductive development of seed and pollen cones of interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss and Picea engelmannii (Parry) complex) to determine temperature effects on the adaptive traits of progeny. In Experiment 1, identical crosses were made on potted interior spruce using untreated pollen followed by exposure to a day/night temperature of 22/8 or 14/8 degrees C with a 12-h photoperiod during the stages of reproductive development from post-pollination to early embryo development. Frost hardiness and growth of progeny from seed produced in the two temperature treatments were measured over a 4-year period. Elevated temperature significantly affected both seed-cone development and the adaptive properties of the progeny. Seed cones exposed to the 22/8 degrees C treatment reached the early embryo stage in 53 days versus 92 days in the 14/8 degrees C treatment. Seed yields, cotyledon emergence and percent germination were also significantly enhanced by the 22/8 degrees C treatment. Progeny from seed produced in the higher temperature treatment showed significantly reduced spring and fall frost hardiness, but the elevated temperature treatment had no significant effects on time of bud burst, growth patterns or final heights. In Experiment 2, single ramets of the same clone were subjected to a day/night temperature of 20/8 or 10/8 degrees C during pollen cone development, starting from meiosis and ending at pollen shedding. The two populations of pollen were then crossed with untreated seed cones. Compared with pollen cones exposed to the 10/8 degrees C treatment, pollen cones exposed to the 20/8 degrees C treatment during development reached the shedding stage 2-4 weeks earlier, whereas pollen yields, in vitro viability and fertility (seed set) were significantly lower; however, the resulting progeny displayed no treatment differences in frost hardiness or growth after 1 year. Results suggest that seed orchard after-effects could be caused by temperature differences between orchard site and parent tree origin and that this effect acts on maternal development. Gametophytic (pollen or megagametophyte or both) and early embryo (sporophytic) selection are possible mechanisms that may explain the observed results. Although the effects are biologically significant, they are relatively small and do not justify changes in current deployment strategies for seed orchard seed.     

Reproductive biology of Corymbia citriodora subsp. variegata and effective pollination across its native range in Queensland,Australia

The spotted gum species complex represents a group of four eucalypt hardwood taxa that have a native range that spans the east coast of Australia, with a morphological cline from Victoria to northern Queensland. Of this group, Corymbia citriodora subsp. variegata (CCV) is widespread in south-eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. It is currently the most commonly harvested native hardwood in Queensland. However, little basic knowledge of the reproductive biology of the species is available to inform genetic improvement and resource management programmes. Here we take an integrative approach, using both field and molecular data, to identify ecological factors important to mating patterns in native populations of CCV. Field observation of pollinator visitation and flowering phenology of 20 trees showed that foraging behaviour of pollinator guilds varies depending on flowering phenology and canopy structure. A positive effect of tree mean flowering effort was found on insect visitation, while bat visitation was predicted by tree height and by the number of trees simultaneously bearing flowers. Moreover, introduced honeybees were observed frequently, performing 73% of detected flower visits. Conversely, nectar-feeding birds and mammals were observed sporadically with lorikeets and honeyeaters each contributing to 11% of visits. Fruit bats, represented solely by the grey-headed flying fox, performed less than 2% of visits. Genotyping at six microsatellite markers in 301 seeds from 17 families sampled from four of Queensland's native forests showed that CCV displays a mixed-mating system that is mostly outcrossing (t _m = 0.899 ± 0.021). Preferential effective pollination from near-neighbours was detected by means of maximum-likelihood paternity analysis with up to 16% of reproduction events resulting from selfing. Forty to 48% of fertilising pollen was also carried from longer distance (>60 m). Marked differences in foraging behaviour and visitation frequency between observed pollinator guilds suggests that the observed dichotomy of effective pollen movement in spotted gums may be due to frequent visit from introduced honeybees favouring geitonogamy and sporadic visits from honeyeaters and fruit bats resulting in potential long-distance pollinations.     

Pedigree and mating system analyses in a western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) experimental population

?The mating pattern and gene flow in a western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) experimental population was studied with the aid of microsatellite markers and a combination of paternity-mating system analysis. The commonly difficult to assess, male gametic contribution was determined with 95% confidence and its impact on genetic gain and diversity was determined.

? Male fertility success rate ranged between 0 and 11%. Male reproductive output parental imbalance was observed with 50% of the pollen being produced by the top 5% of males while the lower 39% males only produced 10% of the pollen.

? A significant difference was observed between male effective population size (genetic diversity) estimates from paternity assignment compared to those based on population’s census number (21 vs. 41); however, this difference did not affect estimates of genetic gain.

? A total of 221 full-fib families were identified (sample size range: 1–8) and were nested among the studied 14 seed-donors.

? A combination of paternity-mating system analysis is recommended to provide a better insight into seed orchards’ mating dynamics. While pollen flow tends to inflate mating system’s outcrossing rate, the paternity analysis effectively determined the rate and magnitude of contamination across receptive females.

     

宝兴百合花柱偏转促进延迟自交试验研究

2011年7~8月对云南香格里拉高山植物园的宝兴百合(Lilium duchartrei Franch.)种群进行了传粉生物学研究实验,以期找到这种花朵开放初期雌雄异位的植物传粉生物学特点。结果表明,记录到的178次昆虫对宝兴百合的访问中能触碰到柱头的仅有蝴蝶类1次,有效传粉者传粉频率严重不足;单花期5.5~6.5 d,花开放的前3天,柱头远离花药,从花开放的第二天起花柱缓慢向上偏转,第四天将柱头从远离花药位置送到刚好可以接受自花花粉的位置,利于早期没有昆虫传粉的花朵延迟自交,自花授粉发生在花期末期,自交之前仍然保持异交传粉机制;自然状态(92.3%)及完全套袋处理(90%)的结实率接近,说明宝兴百合传粉存在花柱偏转促进的延迟自交,但2种处理的每果实种子数自然状态(121)显著高于完全套袋处理(78),又说明由昆虫传粉的异交更利于宝兴百合结实。延迟自交避免了自交与异交竞争造成的花粉或者种子的折损,为宝兴百合在有效访花昆虫不足导致异交失败时提供繁殖保障。