Floral biology and pollination strategy of seven Tacca species (Taccaceae)

Chua, Kek Shen and Borkent, Art and Wong, Sin Yeng (2020) Floral biology and pollination strategy of seven Tacca species (Taccaceae). Nordic Journal of Botany, 38 (2). pp. 1-14.

[img] PDF
Wong Sin Yeng.pdf

Download (150kB)
Official URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nj...

Abstract

We investigated the floral characteristics, floral biology and floral visitors of the six Bornean Tacca species: T. bibracteata (only floral characteristics), T. borneensis, T. havilandii, T. leontopetaloides, T. palmata and T. reducta, and T. cristata from Peninsular Malaysia. All species are protogynous with pollen strings extruded post flower opening. Blooming of all species started from dawn except for T. leontopetaloides which flowered from dusk. While T. borneensis, T. cristata, T. havilandii, T. leontopetaloides and T. reducta are facultatively autogamic as the pollen/ovule ratios (P/O ratios) were low, T. bibracteata is facultatively xenogamic as its P/O ratio was higher. Four species (T. borneensis, T. cristata, T. havilandii and T. reducta) were tested for autonomous self-pollination but all failed to set fruit. Manual self- and cross-pollination treatments of T. borneensis, T. cristata and T. havilandii showed reduced fruit set and seed set. In contrast, T. reducta was highly self-compatible. The showy bracts and bracteoles of T. borneensis are needed to guarantee pollination success but is not so in the other species investigated. Tacca are pollinated by two pollination guilds of female midges: two species of Forcipomyia (Lasiohelea) and Culicoides hinnoi. The floral biology and mating system of Tacca species indicate that most fruits and seeds were produced in samples resulting from natural pollination.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation
Uncontrolled Keywords: bat lily, biting midges, black fungus gnats, Ceratopogonidae, pollen/ovule (P/O) ratio, reproductive display, unimas, university, universiti, Borneo, Malaysia, Sarawak, Kuching, Samarahan, ipta, education, research, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Subjects: Q Science > Q Science (General)
Q Science > QK Botany
Divisions: Academic Faculties, Institutes and Centres > Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation
Faculties, Institutes, Centres > Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation
Depositing User: Peter
Date Deposited: 14 Aug 2020 01:10
Last Modified: 01 Apr 2021 04:59
URI: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31217

Actions (For repository members only: login required)

View Item View Item