Note on the pollination of Calla palustris L. (Araceae)

Author(s)
Marion Chartier, Jean-Loup Fernandez, David Prehsler, Jürg Schönenberger, Marc Gibernau
Abstract

Calla palustris L., despite its wide distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, is poorly understood with respect to its ecology. We made observations on the flowering sequence and on floral visitors in a natural population in the Vosges, France, and conducted mating system experiments in the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna.
The anthesis of Calla inflorescences lasted approximately ten days. It started by a female phase with stigmas becoming receptive from the base to the top of the inflorescences. Stamen dehiscence followed the same pattern and the male phase started towards the end or after completion of the female phase. Our experiments showed that Calla is at least partly self-pollinated or apomictic, as ca. 20 % of the gynoecia developed into fruits and produced seeds without pollinators. Entomophily cannot be excluded, as we observed few small Coleoptera and Diptera visiting the inflorescences. Anemophily, although less probable, remains to be tested.

Organisation(s)
Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Core Facility Botanical Garden
External organisation(s)
Université Joseph-Fourier (Grenoble-I), Unité Mixte de Recherche Écologie des Forêts de Guyane, Université de Corse Pasquale Paoli
Journal
Aroideana : Journal of the International Aroid Society
Volume
40
Pages
71-83
ISSN
0197-4033
Publication date
2017
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
106042 Systematic botany, 106008 Botany, 106012 Evolutionary research
Keywords
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/af49fea8-1773-4f68-91f5-c584b2b68b84