Preliminary Studies on Pollination and Mating System of Rare and Endangered Plant Erythrophleum fordii Oliv.

Abstract:

Although a few efforts have been taken to conserve rare and endangered species Erythropleum fordii Olive., information about its pollination and mating system still remains unknown. The pollination and mating system of E. fordii through performing the field observation, SEM observation of pollen and stigma, controlled pollination experiment and genetic analyses in Dinghushan Nature Reserve, China were studied. Erythrophleum fordii has brightly colorful inflorescences and sends forth delicate odor, its pollen is coated by strong mucous substance and its stigmas have not specific structure for pollen capturing, and meanwhile the inflorescences pollinated by wind did not fruit at all, therefore it was inferred that E. fordii might be entomophilous. According to genetic analyses and fruiting of two object trees under contrasting reproductive situations, E. fordii can be selfing occasionally but out-crossing is dominant with out-crossing rate in the Dinghushan E. fordii community for 90.6%. This preliminary elucidation of pollination and mating system would benefit the conservation of E. fordii.