Abstract
Floral traits affect mating success via their influence on the microenvironment in which sexual reproduction occurs as well as their impact on pollinator attraction. Here we investigate the importance of flower heliotropism as a source of parental environmental effects on pollen quality and performance. Flowers of the snow buttercup, Ranunculus adoneus, closely track the sun's rays. We experimentally restrained flowers to test for effects of heliotropism on pollen quality and performance after pollination. When equivalent amounts of pollen were transferred to recipient pistils, pollen from solar-tracking donor flowers exhibited a 32% advantage in germination compared to pollen from stationary (tethered) donor flowers. By the end of anthesis, pistils of tracking flowers contained 40% more germinating pollen grains and 44% more pollen tubes midway down the style than pistils of stationary ones. Solar tracking had no direct effect on pollen tube growth. The greater amount of germinating pollen in tracking flowers accounted for the treatment effect on pollen tube density. A survey of pollen receipt and pollen germination in naturally tracking flowers indicated that solar tracking primarily affects pollen tube density by promoting pollen germination rather than pollen deposition. We conclude that flower heliotropism, by enhancing the paternal environment for pollen development and the maternal environment for pollen germination, represents a source of positive parental environmental effects on pollen performance in snow buttercups.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Pollen from tracking donors had a 32% germination advantage over pollen from tethered donors.
- Taxon
- Ranunculus adoneus
Ranunculus adoneust0 - Treatment
- solar-tracking donor flowerse0
- Outcome
- germinatione0
- Direction
- advantagee0
- Value
- 32%e0
- Comparator
- stationary (tethered) donor flowerse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“pollen from solar-tracking donor flowers exhibited a 32% advantage in germination compared to pollen from stationary (tethered) donor flowers”
t0“Ranunculus adoneus”
Claim · model-written summary
Tracking flowers had 40% more germinating pollen grains at the end of anthesis.
- Taxon
- Ranunculus adoneusRanunculus adoneust0
- Treatment
- tracking flowerse0
- Outcome
- germinating pollen grainse0
- Direction
- moree0
- Value
- 40%e0
- Comparator
- stationary onese1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“pistils of tracking flowers contained 40% more germinating pollen grains”
e1“stationary ones”
t0“Ranunculus adoneus”
Claim · model-written summary
Tracking flowers had 44% more pollen tubes midway down the style.
- Taxon
- Ranunculus adoneusRanunculus adoneust0
- Treatment
- tracking flowerse1
- Outcome
- pollen tubes midway down the stylee0
- Direction
- moree0
- Value
- 44%e0
- Comparator
- stationary onese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“44% more pollen tubes midway down the style than pistils of stationary ones”
e1“pistils of tracking flowers”
t0“Ranunculus adoneus”
Claim · model-written summary
Solar tracking had no direct effect on pollen tube growth.
- Taxon
- Ranunculus adoneusRanunculus adoneust0
- Treatment
- Solar trackinge0
- Outcome
- pollen tube growthe0
- Direction
- no direct effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Solar tracking had no direct effect on pollen tube growth.”
t0“Ranunculus adoneus”
Claim · model-written summary
More germinating pollen in tracking flowers accounted for increased pollen tube density.
- Taxon
- Ranunculus adoneusRanunculus adoneust0
- Outcome
- pollen tube densitye0
- Qualifier
- greater amount of germinating pollene0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The greater amount of germinating pollen in tracking flowers accounted for the treatment effect on pollen tube density.”
t0“Ranunculus adoneus”
Claim · model-written summary
In natural flowers, tracking primarily affected pollen tube density through germination rather than deposition.
- Taxon
- Ranunculus adoneusRanunculus adoneust0
- Outcome
- pollen tube densitye0
- Qualifier
- promoting pollen germination rather than pollen depositione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“solar tracking primarily affects pollen tube density by promoting pollen germination rather than pollen deposition”
t0“Ranunculus adoneus”