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Reproductive biology of a North American subalpine plant: Corydalis caseana A. Gray ssp. brandegei (S. Watson) G. B. Ownbey
Author(s) -
Maloof Joan E.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
plant species biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.419
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1442-1984
pISSN - 0913-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-1984.2000.00047.x
Subject(s) - biology , nectar , pollinator , pollination , inbreeding depression , botany , reproductive biology , pollen , population , inbreeding , embryo , demography , sociology , microbiology and biotechnology , embryogenesis
Corydalis caseana ssp. brandegei (Fumariaceae) is a perennial plant that grows in moist, subalpine regions of south central Colorado, USA. Prior to this study, nothing was known of its reproductive biology. The most numerous visitors (59%), and the only known pollinators, were long‐tongued bumblebees ( Bombus appositus ). Twenty‐nine percent of visits were from short‐tongued nectar‐robbing bumblebees ( Bombus occidentalis ). Hummingbirds also visited the flowers but they did not pollinate them. Corydalis caseana flowers remained open and in good condition for approximately 4 days. During that time, in the absence of visitors, nectar containing 35% sugar accumulated at a rate of approximately 1 μ L per day. Corydalis caseana has a mixed‐mating system. It is self‐fertile, but the self‐fertilized flowers produce fewer seeds per fruit than the outcrossed flowers (a mean of 2.9 compared with a mean of 4.7). Results suggest a possibility of inbreeding depression.