The stamens within a flower are usually very similar in appearance, although some species possess two or more structurally distinct types that often differ in reproductive function - a feature referred to as heteranthery. In this Quick guide, Spencer Barrett discusses the origins and functions of heteranthery.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.040 | DOI Listing |
Ann Bot
December 2024
Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia. Uberlândia, Brazil.
Background: Floral adaptations supposedly favour pollen grains to cross the numerous barriers faced during their journey to stigmas. Stamen dimorphism and specialized petals, like the cucculus in the Cassieae tribe (Fabaceae), are commonly observed in flowers that offer only pollen as a resource for bee pollinators. Here, we experimentally investigated whether the stamen dimorphism and cucculus enhance pollen placement on the bee's body.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBat pollination of in Fiji, a genus that was presumed to be pollinated by bees, posits that other species may be bat-pollinated, with implications for conservation and the understanding of angiosperm evolution. Botanical descriptions of some corolla behaviours ('falling as a whole') suggest bat removal of permanently closed corollas, as in . Considering the remoteness of species of interest, we reviewed some floral traits to hypothesise what they may mean for bat pollination of the genus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvolution
January 2023
Kellogg Biological Station and Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, United States.
The study of adaptation helps explain biodiversity and predict future evolution. Yet the process of adaptation can be difficult to observe due to limited phenotypic variation in contemporary populations. Furthermore, the scarcity of male fitness estimates has made it difficult to both understand adaptation and evaluate sexual conflict hypotheses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAoB Plants
October 2022
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica, Escola Nacional de Botânica Tropical, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22460-036, Brazil.
The division of labour hypothesis between stamens has explained the evolution of divergent functions between dimorphic stamens in the same flower. However, little is known about whether the distinct type of stamens differs in attractiveness to pollinators. Therefore, we investigate whether the two types of stamens commonly found in have different visual and olfactory attractants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Biol (Stuttg)
October 2022
Key Laboratory of Research and Utilization of Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources of Hunan Province, College of Biological and Food Engineering, Huaihua University, Huaihua, China.
Numerous compounds in pollen can affect the foraging decision-making of bees. Clarification of phytochemical components and identification of key substances for bee foraging preference in pollen are essential steps for apiculture and developing a conservation strategy. Senna bicapsularis, a heterantherous plant that possesses three different stamen types in the same flower, among which bees forage selectively, provides us with an ideal research model for identification of potential substances of bee foraging preference.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!