Publication: Reproductive biology of a rare, fly-pollinated orchid, Bulbophyllum nipondhii Seidenf., in Thailand
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Issued Date
2019
Resource Type
File Type
application/pdf
ISSN
3672530
Other identifier(s)
2-s2.0-85072570198
Rights Holder(s)
Scopus
Bibliographic Citation
Flora: Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. Vol 260, (2019)
Suggested Citation
Pakum W., Kongbangkerd A., Srimuang K.-O., Gale S.W., Watthana S. Reproductive biology of a rare, fly-pollinated orchid, Bulbophyllum nipondhii Seidenf., in Thailand. Flora: Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. Vol 260, (2019). doi:10.1016/j.flora.2019.151467 Retrieved from: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14740/5101
Abstract
The breeding system and pollination biology of a rare epiphytic orchid, Bulbophyllum nipondhii Seidenf., were investigated in Northeast Thailand. We demonstrate that the species is strongly, but not completely, self-incompatible, with a fruit-set of 5.0–5.7% following manual selfing and 65.0–65.7% following manual out-crossing, and that it requires a pollen vector for effective pollination in the wild. Natural fruit-set was 4.2–6.7%. The flowers are nectarless and emanate a faint scent reminiscent of decaying wood. The elastically-hinged lip acts as a seesaw balance which tips when a pollinator enters the flower, propelling the insect against the column. Effective pollinators were an unidentified female scuttle fly species, Megaselia sp. (Diptera: Phoridae), with the flowers apparently conforming to a sapromyiophilous pollination syndrome. Phoridae are herewith reported as pollinators of Bulbophyllum for the first time. © 2019 Elsevier GmbH