Premium
“Real” and Feed Pollen of Lagerstroemia indica: Ecophysiological Differences
Author(s) -
Nepi M.,
Guarnieri M.,
Pacini E.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 1435-8603
DOI - 10.1055/s-2003-40797
Subject(s) - pollen , biology , stamen , sucrose , botany , fructose , sugar , anthesis , germination , monosaccharide , dehydration , pollinator , horticulture , pollination , food science , biochemistry , cultivar
Lagerstroemia indica is heterantheric, its flowers bearing two kinds of stamens: six peripheral stamens with long, curved filaments and large anthers producing blue‐green pollen, capable of emitting pollen tubes and fertilizing ovules; or a central tuft of 35 ‐ 40 smaller anthers producing yellow feed pollen that does not germinate and is collected by insects, mainly bees. The two types of pollen differ in volume, number of pores, pore intine protrusion, wall structure, pollenkitt quality, hydration state, viability at anthesis, longevity and mono‐ and disaccharide composition. Although total sugar concentrations (glucose, fructose and sucrose) are the same in both types, relative concentrations are different, “real” pollen being sucrose‐rich (S / [G + F] = 1.2) and feed pollen glucose‐fructose‐rich (S / [G + F] = 0.3). A lower degree of dehydration, pore intine protrusion and higher monosaccharide content could make feed pollen more digestible for pollinators. On the other hand, the cytological features of “real” pollen (high dehydration, higher sucrose content) points to longer viability and reproductive function.