Patterns in floral traits and plant breeding systems on Southern Ocean Islands
Little is known about floral biology in the Southern Ocean region 45° - 55°S, despite the World Heritage status of some areas. Typical pollinators are rare on these cold, remote islands, yet some plants have showy flowers, suggesting insect pollination, or separate sexed flowers requiring cross-poll...
| Published in: | AoB Plants |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2015
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| Online Access: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4583772/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26286223 https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plv095 |
| Summary: | Little is known about floral biology in the Southern Ocean region 45° - 55°S, despite the World Heritage status of some areas. Typical pollinators are rare on these cold, remote islands, yet some plants have showy flowers, suggesting insect pollination, or separate sexed flowers requiring cross-pollination. This study analyses data for 321 species on 11 Southern Ocean island groups. Separate sexed flowers are common compared with other high latitude islands, but a reliance on biotic pollination may limit species distributions. Given the vulnerability and uniqueness of these floras, a greater effort needs to be made to understand their reproductive ecology. |
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