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Comparative study of pollination biology of two closely related alpine Primula species, namely Primula beesiana and P. bulleyana (Primulaceae)
Author(s) -
WU ZhiKun,
ZHANG ChangQin
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of systematics and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.249
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1759-6831
pISSN - 1674-4918
DOI - 10.1111/j.1759-6831.2010.00069.x
Subject(s) - primula , primulaceae , biology , pollination , pollinator , reproductive isolation , heterostyly , population , outcrossing , botany , ecology , pollen , demography , sociology
The comparative pollination biology of a population of Primula beesiana , a population of P. bulleyana , and an overlapping population of these two species in Yulong Shan, Yunnan Province, China, was studied in 2004 and 2005. The results indicate that both P. beesiana and P. bulleyana are typical heterostylous and obligate outcrossing species; the main pollinators of the two species were bees and butterflies. At the sites of all three populations, the main pollinating visitors of the two species showed preference for one of the two species, resulting in the ethological isolation of the two species by the pollinators. This ethological isolation contributes to the reproductive isolation of the two species, which supports the hypothesis that P. beesiana and P. bulleyana are two distinct species. The reproductive isolation of the two species (ethological isolation) is probably an important mechanism in maintaining species boundaries in the genus and has contributed to the species diversification of Primula in the area. In addition, gene exchanges between P. beesiana and P. bulleyana has occurred to some extent in the overlapping population, but whether natural hybridization has contributed to species diversification in Primula remains to be determined.