| Title: | Variability in floral scent in rewarding and deceptive orchids: the signature of pollinator-imposed selection? |
| Author(s): | Salzmann CC; Nardella AM; Cozzolino S; Schiestl FP; |
| Address: | "Plant Ecological Genetics, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0305-7364 (Print) 1095-8290 (Electronic) 0305-7364 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A comparative investigation was made of floral scent variation in the closely related, food-rewarding Anacamptis coriophora and the food-deceptive Anacamptis morio in order to identify patterns of variability of odour compounds in the two species and their role in pollinator attraction/avoidance learning. METHODS: Scent was collected from plants in natural populations and samples were analysed via quantitative gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Combined gas chromatography and electroantennographic detection was used to identify compounds that are detected by the pollinators. Experimental reduction of scent variability was performed in the field with plots of A. morio plants supplemented with a uniform amount of anisaldehyde. KEY RESULTS: Both orchid species emitted complex odour bouquets. In A. coriophora the two main benzenoid compounds, hydroquinone dimethyl ether (1,4-dimethoxybenzene) and anisaldehyde (methoxybenzaldehyde), triggered electrophysiological responses in olfactory neurons of honey-bee and bumble-bee workers. The scent of A. morio, however, was too weak to elicit any electrophysiological responses. The overall variation in scent was significantly lower in the rewarding A. coriophora than in the deceptive A. morio, suggesting pollinator avoidance-learning selecting for high variation in the deceptive species. A. morio flowers supplemented with non-variable scent in plot experiments, however, did not show significantly reduced pollination success. CONCLUSIONS: Whereas in the rewarding A. coriophora stabilizing selection imposed by floral constancy of the pollinators may reduce scent variability, in the deceptive A. morio the emitted scent seems to be too weak to be detected by pollinators and thus its high variability may result from relaxed selection on this floral trait" |
| Keywords: | Animals Bees/physiology Feeding Behavior Flowers/chemistry Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry *Odorants Orchidaceae/*chemistry *Pollination; |
| Notes: | "MedlineSalzmann, Charlotte C Nardella, Antonio M Cozzolino, Salvatore Schiestl, Florian P eng Comparative Study Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2007/08/09 Ann Bot. 2007 Oct; 100(4):757-65. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcm161. Epub 2007 Aug 6" |
