Nectar characteristics of Cologania broussonetii (Balb.) DC. (Fabaceae) and its relationship with flower visitors

Authors

  • Mariana L. Musicante CONICET - Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
  • Leonardo Galetto CONICET - Grupo de investigaciones en ecología reproductiva de plantas, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.

Keywords:

Faboideae, flower visitors, Bombus sp., sugar nectar composition, nectar secretion pattern

Abstract

Relationships between flowering plants and their pollinators are usually affected by the amount and quality of reward, mainly pollen or nectar, offered to pollinators. Here we analyzed nectar sugar composition, nectar secretion pattern, the effects of removal of nectar on the secretion pattern, and the relationships between these variables and the frequency of visits of the pollinators in Cologania broussonetii (Fabaceae). Nectar sugar composition showed sucrose 62%, fructose 24% and glucose 14%. Nectar secretion resulted continuous through the first day after flower opening. When flower nectar was not removed, during the second day of flower lifetime the sugar content declined due to nectar reabsorption. Nectar removal did not affect the total amount of sugar produced by the flowers. Flowers were visited in low frequencies just by two bumblebees: Bombus opifex and Bombus bellicosus (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Some of the nectar secretion traits can be related with a low frequency of pollinator visits. Thus, considering the nectar secretion pattern in these species seem to be in accordance with variables and unpredictable visit rates.

References

ARROYO, MTK. 1981. Breeding systems and pollination biology in Leguminoseae. Pp. 723-769 en: Polhill, RM & PH Raven (Eds.). Advances in Legume systematics. Part. 2. Royal Botanical Gardens. Kew.

BAKER, HG & I BAKER. 1983. A brief historical review of the chemistry of floral nectar. Pp. 126-152. en: Bentley, B & TS Elias (Eds.). The Biology of nectarines. Columbia University Press. New York.

BAKER, HG & I BAKER 1990. The predictive value of nectar chemistry to the recognition of pollinators types. J. of Bot. (Israel) 39(1-2):157-166.

BERNARDELLO, LM; L GALETTO & IG RODRÍGUEZ. 1994. Reproductive biology, variability of nectar features and pollination of Combretum fruticosum (Combretaceae) in Argentina. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 114:293-308.

BURKART, A. 1952. Las leguminosas argentinas silvestres y cultivadas. Pp. 385-386. 2da ed. Editorial ACME. Buenos. Aires. 590 pp.

CABRERA, AL. 1976. Regiones Fitogeográficas argentinas. Pp. 1-85 en: Kugler, WF (Ed.). Enciclopedia argentina de agricultura y jardinería. Tomo 2. Edit. ACME. Buenos Aires.

COCUCCI, AA; L GALETTO & A SERSIC. 1992. El sindrome floral de Caesalpinia gilliesii (Fabaceae-Caesalpinioideae). Darwiniana 31(1-4):111-135.

DAFNI, A. 1992. Pollination ecology. A practical approach. Pp. 165-201 en: Rickwood, D & BD Hames (Eds.) The practical approach series. Oxford University Press. London. 272 pp.

FAEGRI, K & L VAN DER PIJL. 1971. The principles of pollination ecology. 2da ed. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 291 pp.

FORCONE, AL; GALETTO & L BERNARDELLO.1997. Floral nectar chemical composition of some species from Patagonia. Biochem. Syst. and Ecol. 25(5):395-402.

GALETTO, L & LM BERNARDELLO. 1992. Nectar secretion pattern and removal effects in six Argentinean Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae). Bot. Acta. 105(4):292-299.

GALETTO, L & LM BERNARDELLO. 1993. Nectar secretion pattern and removal effects in three species of Solanaceae. Can. J. Bot. 71(10):1394-1398.

GALETTO, L & LM BERNARDELLO. 1995. Characteristics of nectar secretion by Lycium cestroides, L. ciliatum (Solanaceae) and their hybrid. Plant Species Biol. 11(2-3):157-163.

GALETTO, L & G BERNARDELLO. 2003. Nectar sugar composition in angiosperms from Chaco and Patagonia (Argentina): an animal visitor’s matter? Plant. Syst. and Evolut. 238(1-4):69-86.

GALETTO, L & G BERNARDELLO. 2004. Floral nectarines, nectar production dynamics and chemical composition in six Ipomoea species (Convolvulaceae) in relation to pollinators. Ann. of Bot. 94:269-280.

GALETTO, L & G BERNARDELLO. 2005. Nectar. Pp. 261-313 en: Dafni, A; PG Kevan & BC Husband (Eds.). Rewards in flowers. Practical Pollination Biology. Cambridge, Ontario.

GALETTO, L; LM BERNARDELLO & HR JULIANI. 1994. Estructura del nectario, composición química del néctar y mecanismo de polinización en tres especies de Siphocampylus (Campanulaceae). Kurtziana 22:81-96.

GALETTO, L; G BERNARDELLO; I ISELE; JL VESPRINI; G SPERONI; ET AL. 2000. Reproductive biology of Erythrina crista-galli (Fabaceae). Ann. of the Missouri Bot. Garden 87:127-145.

HERRERA, CM. 1987. Components of pollinator “quality”: comparative analysis of a diverse insect assemblage. Oikos 50(1):79-90.

LUTI, RF; M GALERA & M BERTRAÁN DE SOLIS. 1979. Vegetación. Pp. 125-367 en: Vázquez, JB (Ed.). Geografía física de la provincia de Córdoba. Editorial Boldt. Banco Provincia de Córdoba. Córdoba.

MUSICANTE, ML & L GALETTO. En prensa. Biología reproductiva de Cologania broussonetii (Fabaceae). Darwiniana.

OPLER, PA. 1983. Nectar production in a tropical ecosystem. Pp. 30-79 en: Bentley, B & TS Elias (Eds.) The biology of nectaries. Columbia University Press. New York.

PERCIVAL, M. 1961. Types of nectars in angiosperms. New Phytol 60(3):235-281.

PYKE, GH. 1991. What does it cost a plant to produce floral nectar? Nature 350:58-59.

REAL, LA & BJ RATHCKE. 1988. Patterns of individual variability in floral resources. Ecol. 69(3):728-735.

SIMPSON, BB & JL NEFF. 1983. Evolution and diversity of floral rewards. Pp. 142-159 en: Jones, CE & RJ Little (Eds.). Handbook of experimental pollination biology. New York.

SWEELEY, SC; R BENTLEY; M MAKITA & WW WELLS. 1963. Gas liquid chromatography of trimethylsilyl derivatives of sugar and related substances. J. of Amer. Chem. Soc. 85:2497-2507.

SOKAL, RR & FJ ROHLF. 1995. Biometry: the principles and practice of statistics in biological research. 3a ed. WH Freeman & Co., New York. 887 pp.

THOMPSON, JD. 1981. Spatial and temporal components of resource assessment by flower-feeding insects. J. Anim. Ecol. 50(1):49-59.

TORRES, C & L GALETTO. 1998. Patterns and implications of floral nectar secretion, chemical composition, removal effects, and standing crop in Mandevilla pentlandiana (Apocynaceae). Bot. J. of the Linnean Soc. 127(3):207-223.

WASER, NM. 1983. Competition for pollination and floral character differences among sympatric plant species. a review of evidence. Pp. 277-293 en: Jones, CE & RJ Little (Eds.). Handbook of experimental pollination biology. Van Nostrand Reinhold. New York.

Downloads

Published

2008-08-01

How to Cite

Musicante, M. L., & Galetto, L. (2008). Nectar characteristics of Cologania broussonetii (Balb.) DC. (Fabaceae) and its relationship with flower visitors. Ecología Austral, 18(2), 195–204. Retrieved from https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1386

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 2 (2008)

Section

Articles

License

Authors retain their rights as follows: 1) by granting the journal the right to its first publication, and 2) by registering the published article with a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which allows authors and third parties to view and use it as long as they clearly mention its origin (citation or reference, including authorship and first publication in this journal). Authors can make other non-exclusive distribution agreements as long as they clearly indicate their origin and are encouraged to widely share and disseminate the published version of their work.