Floral micromorphology of the bird-pollinated carnivorous plant species Utricularia menziesii R.Br. (Lentibulariaceae)

Annals of Botany
Bartosz J PlachnoGregory R Cawthray

Abstract

Bird pollination is rare among species in the genus Utricularia, and has evolved independently in two lineages of this genus. In Western Australia, the Western Spinebill, Acanthorhynchus superciliosus, visits flowers of Utricularia menziesii (section Pleiochasia: subgenus Polypompholyx). This study aimed to examine the micromorphology of U. menziesii flowers to assess traits that might be linked to its pollination strategy. Light microscopy, histochemistry and scanning electron microscopy were used. Nectar sugar composition was analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The flowers of U. menziesii fulfil many criteria that characterize bird-pollinated flowers: red colour, a large, tough nectary spur that can withstand contact with a hard beak, lack of visual nectar guides and fragrance. Trichomes at the palate and throat may act as tactile signals. Spur nectary trichomes did not form clearly visible patches, but were more frequently distributed along vascular bundles, and were small and sessile. Each trichome comprised a single basal cell, a unicellular short pedestal cell (barrier cell) and a multicelled head. These trichomes were much smaller than those of the U. vulgaris allies. Hexose-dominated nectar was detect...Continue Reading

References

May 23, 2006·Journal of Chromatography. a·Rune Slimestad, Ingunn M Vågen
Mar 11, 2008·Journal of Experimental Botany·Quentin Cronk, Isidro Ojeda
Dec 25, 2010·Annals of Botany·Małgorzata StpiczyńskaMagdalena Kamińska
May 30, 2014·Biology Letters·Gerald Mayr, Volker Wilde
Oct 18, 2016·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·S AbrahamczykA M Humphreys

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Citations

Jun 28, 2020·Annals of Botany·Krzysztof LustofinBartosz J Płachno
Jul 28, 2020·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Bartosz J PłachnoVitor F O Miranda

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