Investigation of the breeding systems of four Aizoaceae species in Namaqualand, South Africa
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Authors
We investigated the breeding systems of four different Aizoaceae species in Namaqualand, South Africa. Results showed that all four species are xenogamous with negligible amounts of seeds produced when flowers are left to spontaneous self-pollination (autogamy) or self-pollinated. Experiments allowing single visits of pollinators resulted in significantly higher seed numbers in relation to bagged unmanipulated flowers for two species. Pollen–ovule ratios were extremely high and supported the notion that the investigated Aizoaceae species are obligate outcrossers depending on insects as pollen vectors.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | South African Journal of Botany |
| Volume | 73 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Pages (from-to) | 657-660 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| ISSN | 0254-6299 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 01.11.2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:
This study was embedded in BIOTA Southern Africa ( www.biota-africa.com ) which is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bmbf 01LC0024). Northern Cape Nature Conservation Services kindly issued research permits. Gesine Pufal acknowledges the financial support provided by the Hans Merensky Foundation. Anonymous referees gave helpful comments to improve the manuscript.
- Ecosystems Research
- Cheiridopsis, Leipoldtia, Pollen-ovule ratio, Pollination experiments, Ruschia
Research areas
- Plant Science