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Are flowers morphologically adapted to take advantage of electrostatic forces in pollination?
Author(s) -
Vaknin Yiftach,
Ganmor Samuel,
Bechar Avital,
Ronen Beni,
Eisikowitch Dan
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1046/j.0028-646x.2001.00263.x
Subject(s) - pollen , pollination , botany , morphology (biology) , pollen tube , stigma (botany) , biology , deposition (geology) , paleontology , sediment , genetics
Summary• The relationship between floral morphology and electrostatic pollination was studied here. To test the effects of floral morphology on pollen deposition on the stigma and other floral parts by means of electrostatic forces, metal replicas of almond ( Amygdalus communis ) flowers were constructed and then dusted with electrostatically charged and uncharged almond pollen. The pollen was applied to the flowers with a specially designed electrostatic powder‐coating device. • Pollen deposition on the flower was found to be higher when the pollen was electrostatically charged than when it was not. Most of the charged pollen grains were deposited on the corolla extremities and on the stigma, whereas uncharged pollen grains were evenly distributed on the entire flower. • Stigma exsertion was the most important morphological feature of the flower promoting pollen deposition on the stigma when electrostatic charge was used. Large flowers with corollas showed higher electrodeposition on the corolla than smaller, narrower ones. • These results collectively imply that morphological features of a plant might be adaptations to take advantage of electrostatic forces. This provided us with a very important tool for future research on floral morphology and pollination biology.