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Dichogamy and Style Curvature Avoid Self-Pollination in Eremurus altaicus


Affiliations
1 College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang 832003, China
 

This paper gives a systematic study of Eremurus altaicus in terms of flowering characteristics, pollinating features, style movement pattern, stigma receptivity and mating system. The result showed that it was protandrous and that the stigma had no receptivity until the end of pollen dispersal. Its style showed a regular movement pattern during the flowering phase. The style was upright, very close to anthers at first; then it quickly curved down 90° from the base just before the dehiscing of anthers, but went back to the former upright state after pollen dispersal of all 6 anthers. From the blossoming to the end of pollen dispersal, the stigma was smooth and dry, and had no receptivity to pollens until the style went back to the upright state with papillae, and mucus appeared. The curving down movement of the style significantly widened the relative distance between the stigma and the dehiscing anthers. Therefore, protandry and style movement are double safeguard mechanisms for avoiding selfing and promoting outcrossing in Eremurus altaicus, which has important significance in its reproduction and evolution potential.

Keywords

Foxtail Lily, Mating System, Protandry, Pollination, Style Movement.
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  • Dichogamy and Style Curvature Avoid Self-Pollination in Eremurus altaicus

Abstract Views: 397  |  PDF Views: 165

Authors

Wei Gu
College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang 832003, China
Miao Ma
College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang 832003, China
Jun-Feng Fan
College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang 832003, China

Abstract


This paper gives a systematic study of Eremurus altaicus in terms of flowering characteristics, pollinating features, style movement pattern, stigma receptivity and mating system. The result showed that it was protandrous and that the stigma had no receptivity until the end of pollen dispersal. Its style showed a regular movement pattern during the flowering phase. The style was upright, very close to anthers at first; then it quickly curved down 90° from the base just before the dehiscing of anthers, but went back to the former upright state after pollen dispersal of all 6 anthers. From the blossoming to the end of pollen dispersal, the stigma was smooth and dry, and had no receptivity to pollens until the style went back to the upright state with papillae, and mucus appeared. The curving down movement of the style significantly widened the relative distance between the stigma and the dehiscing anthers. Therefore, protandry and style movement are double safeguard mechanisms for avoiding selfing and promoting outcrossing in Eremurus altaicus, which has important significance in its reproduction and evolution potential.

Keywords


Foxtail Lily, Mating System, Protandry, Pollination, Style Movement.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi02%2F387-391