Pollination and breeding system of the enigmatic South African parasitic plant Mystropetalon thomii (Mystropetalaceae): rodents welcome, but not needed.

摘要: Unrelated plants adapted to particular pollinator types tend exhibit convergent evolution in floral traits. However, inferences about likely pollinators from “pollination syndromes” can be problematic due trait overlap among some syndromes and unusual architecture lineages. An example is the rare South African parasitic plant Mystropetalon thomii (Mystropetalaceae), which has highly brush-like inflorescences that features of both bird- rodent-pollination syndromes. We used camera traps record flower visitors, quantified spectral reflectance nectar scent production, experimentally determined self-compatibility breeding system, studied pollen dispersal using fluorescent dyes. The dark-red are usually monoecious, with female flowers maturing before male flowers, but purely (gynoecious). Inflorescences were visited intensively by several rodent species carried large loads, while visits birds extremely rare. Rodents prefer male- over female-phase inflorescences, because flowers’ higher production. The contains compounds known attract rodents. Despite obvious transfer rodents, we found on monoecious gynoecious readily set seed absence rodents even when all visitors excluded. Our findings suggest production occurs at least partially through apomixis M. not ecologically dependent its pollinators. Our study adds another family growing list rodent-pollinated plants, thus contributing our understanding traits associated pollination non-flying mammals. This article protected copyright. All rights reserved.