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Abstract Detail


Pollination Biology

Arnold, Paige [1], Walsh, Ryan [2], Michaels, Helen [3].

Effects of Pollen Quantity and Quality on Deceptive Orchid Reproduction.

The small white lady's slipper, Cypripedium candidum, is one of many orchids that does not provide pollinators with a food reward, which should increase departures and reduce selfing. A field experiment was established at Castalia Prairie, Erie County, Ohio to determine: 1) Is reproduction limited by pollinator visitation? And 2) Do naturally pollinated and manually selfed and out-crossed flowers differ in fruit abortion and seed production? Thirty individuals with three flowers were selected along five evenly spaced 50m transects; each individual received all three of the following treatments on different flowers: self pollen, outcross pollen or natural pollination. Flowers receiving supplemental pollen were bagged to prevent additional pollination, while those receiving natural pollination were bagged after flower senescence. Fruit set, abortion rates and seed set were scored throughout the 2011 growing season. Fruit set significantly differed among treatments (Kruskal-Wallis, prob>X2=0.0012 with naturally pollinated flowers setting significantly (Tukey-Kramer, p>0.0005) fewer fruits (16.7%) compared to hand self-pollinated flowers (63.3%), which were similar in fruit set to hand crossed-pollinated flowers (43.3%). Although, fruit abortion rates did not significantly differ between treatments (Kruskal-Wallis, p=0.06), self-pollinated flowers experienced the highest abortion rates at 16.7%,followed by naturally pollinated plants with an abortion rate of 6.67%.Out-crossed flowers experienced the lowest abortion rates at 3.33%. These data indicate pollinator limitation of fruit set in C. candidum, suggesting that C. candidum reproduction is limited by attraction of suitable pollinators, but that deceit pollination may be important to limit the trend of increased abortion rates associated with self-pollination events.

Broader Impacts:


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1 - Bowling Green State University, Biological Sciences, Life Science Building, Bowling Green, OH
2 - 2150 Milestone Dr. Apt. 423, Findlay, OH, 45840, USA
3 - BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSTITY, Department Of Biological Sciences, Life Science Building, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA

Keywords:
pollination
deceit
selfing.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Topics
Session: P
Location: Battelle South/Convention Center
Date: Monday, July 9th, 2012
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PPL003
Abstract ID:636


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