Breeding systems in Cyrtanthus (Amaryllidaceae): variation in self-sterility and potential for ovule discounting

First evidence of late-acting self-incompatibility in the Aristolochiaceae

Most Aristolochiaceae species studied so far are from temperate regions, bearing self-compatible protogynous trap flowers. Although self-incompatibility has been suggested for tropical species, the causes of self-sterility in this family remain unknown. To fill this gap, we studied the pollination of the tropical Aristolochia esperanzae, including the physical and physiological anti-selfing mechanisms. Floral visitors trapped inside flowers were collected to determine the pollinators. Protogyny was characterized by observing the temporal expression of sexual phases and stigmatic receptivity tests. The breeding system was investigated using hand-pollination treatments. Pollen tube growth was observed using epifluorescence to identify the self-incompatibility mechanism. Flies were the most frequent visitors found inside A. esperanzae trap flowers, with individuals from the family Ulidiidae being potential pollinators since they carried pollen. The characteristic flower odour and presence of larvae indicate that A. esperanzae deceives flies through oviposition-site mimicry. Although this species showed incomplete protogyny, stigmatic receptivity decreased during the male phase, avoiding self-pollination. Fruits developed only after cross- and open pollination, indicating that the population is non-autonomous, non-apomictic, and self-sterile. This occurred through a delay in the growth of geitonogamous pollen tubes to the ovary and lower ovule penetration, indicating a late-acting self-incompatibility mechanism. Our findings expand the number of families in which late-acting self-incompatibility has been reported, demonstrating that it is more widespread than previously thought, especially when considering less-studied tropical species among the basal angiosperms.

Harmful self-pollination drives gynodioecy in European chestnut, a self-incompatible tree

PREMISE

Gynodioecy is a rare sexual system in which two genders (sensu Lloyd, 1980), cosexuals and females, coexist. To survive, female plants must compensate for their lack of siring capacity and male attractiveness. In European chestnut (Castanea sativa), an outcrossing tree, self-pollination reduces fruit set in cosexual individuals because of late-acting self-incompatibility and early inbreeding depression. Could this negative sexual interaction explain the presence of females in this species?

METHODS

We studied gender variation in wild populations of European chestnut. In addition, we compared fruit set (the proportion of flowers giving fruits) and other key female fitness components as well as reproductive allocation between genders. We then performed emasculation experiments in cosexual trees, by removing nectar-producing fertile male inflorescences. We also removed sterile but nectar-producing male inflorescences from female trees, as a control.

RESULTS

We found a highly variable proportion of male-sterile individuals in the wild in European chestnut. In the experimental plot, trees from each gender had similar size, flower density, and burr set, but different fruit set. Removing nectar-producing male inflorescences from branches or entire trees increased fruit set in cosexual but not in female trees.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that self-pollination impairs fruit set in cosexual trees. Female trees avoid these problems as they do not produce pollen but continue to attract pollinators thanks to their rewarding male-sterile inflorescences, resulting in a much higher fruit set than in cosexuals. This demonstrates that even outcrossed plants can benefit from the cessation of self-pollination, to the point that unisexuality can evolve.

Sexual interference revealed by joint study of male and female pollination success in chestnut

Most seed plants produce both pollen and ovules. In principle, pollen export could interfere with pollen import through self-pollination, resulting in ovule usurpation and reduced fruit set. Evidence for such interference exists under experimental settings but its importance under natural conditions is unknown. To test for sexual interference in nature, it is necessary to study together mating system, through paternity analyses, and fruit set, the proportion of flowers giving seeds or fruits. We developed a new model combining both processes, using chestnut (Castanea) as case study. We carried out a paternity analysis in an intensively studied plot of 273 trees belonging to three interfertile chestnut species and including a range of individuals with more or less functional stamens, resulting in a large data set of 1924 mating events. We then measured fruit set on 216 of these trees. Fruit set of male-fertile trees was much lower than that of male-sterile trees. Our process-based model shows that pollen is not limiting in the study site and hence cannot account for reduced fruit set. It also indicates that self-pollination is high (74%) but selfing rate is low (4%). Self-pollen is less competitive than cross-pollen, reducing sexual interference, but not sufficiently, as many ovules end up being self-fertilized, 95% of which abort before fruit formation, resulting in the loss of 46% of the fruit crop. These results suggest that the main cause of reduced reproductive potential in chestnut is sexual interference by self-pollen, raising questions on its evolutionary origins.

The influence of self-pollen deposition on female reproductive success in a self-incompatible plant, Akebia quinata

Geitonogamy is inevitable in hermaphrodite and monecious. Even for self-incompatible species, the negative effects of self-pollen are unavoidable when geitonogamous or self-mating occurs. However, the influence of self-pollen on consecutive development of flowers (e.g., fruiting and seeding) was seldom evaluated. Here, the self-incompatible monecious species, Akebia quinata, was used to estimate the influence of self-pollen deposition. We evaluated the extent of pollen limitation and geitonogamous mating under natural conditions by count of stigmatic pollen load and pollen tracking experiment. Hand pollination with different amount and combinations of self vs. cross pollen grains was applied to detect the response of fruit and seed set. The results showed that geitonogamy and pollen limitation occurred under natural conditions in A. quinata. Carpel numbers, ratio of self- and cross-pollen, and the interactive effect of ratio of self- and cross-pollen and total mixed pollen numbers, and not total pollen grain number, determined the effect of self-pollen on female reproductive success. The effect of self-pollen depended on its intensity. In general, the transfer of self-pollen significantly affected young fruit set. However, a little self-pollen together with cross-pollen did not reduce young fruit production. Although self-incompatible plants have evolved physiological mechanisms that reduce self-fertilization, our results provide new insights into the effects of self-pollen and the adaptive significance of self-incompatible monecious species.

Self-Incompatibility of Camellia weiningensis Y.K. Li

This study compared the pollen tube growth, fruit setting, and seed setting characteristics of Camellia weiningensis Y.K. Li. under self- and cross-pollination to identify its self-incompatibility characteristics and types. C. weiningensis pollen tube growth was observed by fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy, and a field experiment with manual pollination verified fruit and seed setting characteristics. Both self- and cross-pollinated pollen germinated from the stigma. At 72 h after cross-pollination, the pollen tube reached the style base, with tube growth showing a slow-fast-slow pattern. The tube growth speed was maximal, 343.36 μm·h−1, at 12–24 h after pollination. For self-pollination, the pollen did not germinate on the stigma 4 h before pollination. At 12–24 h after pollination, the growth rate was maximal at 263.36 μm·h−1. At 96 h, a small amount of pollen reached the style base and stagnated. The pollen tube end showed callose reactions, such as abnormal swelling, distortion, and brightness. In the field experiment, the fruit setting rate under cross-pollination was 68.5%, while that under self-pollination was 15.3%. When the fruit grew to maturity, the growth dynamics of the transverse and longitudinal diameters showed a “slow-fast-slow”, S-shaped curve. The number of aborted selfed and outcrossed seeds was 13.9 and 4.7, respectively. Thus, C. weiningensis showed self-incompatibility. The self-incompatibility reaction occurred at the style base and represented prezygotic self-incompatibility. The self-incompatibility of C. weiningensis is one of the main reasons for its low seed setting rate, which should be fully considered in cross breeding.

Breeding systems of floral colour forms in the Drosera cistiflora species complex

Variation in plant breeding systems has implications for pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits and the ecology of populations. Here we evaluate pollinator contribution to seed production, self-compatibility and pollen limitation in different floral colour forms of Drosera cistiflora sensu lato (Droseraceae). These insectivorous perennial plants are endemic to fynbos and renosterveld vegetation in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, and the species complex includes five floral colour forms (pink, purple, red, white and yellow), some of which are known to be pollinated by beetles. Controlled hand-pollination experiments were conducted in 15 populations of D. cistiflora s.l. (two to four populations per floral colour form) to test whether the colour forms vary in their degree of self-compatibility and their ability to produce seeds through autonomous self-fertilization. Yellow-flowered forms were highly self-incompatible, while other floral colour forms exhibited partial self-compatibility. Seed set resulting from autonomous selfing was very low, and pollinator dependence indices were high in all populations. Since hand cross-pollination resulted in greater seed set than open pollination in 13 of the 15 populations, we inferred that seed production is generally pollen-limited. Drosera cistiflora s.l. typically exhibits high levels of pollinator dependence and pollen limitation. This is unusual among Drosera species worldwide and suggests that pollinators are likely to mediate strong selection on attractive traits such as floral colour and size in D. cistiflora s.l. These results also suggest that the floral colour forms of D. cistiflora s.l. which are rare and threatened are likely to be vulnerable to local extinction if mutualisms were to collapse indefinitely.