| Title: | Scent chemistry and pollinators in the holoparasitic plant Cynomorium songaricum (Cynomoriaceae) |
| Address: | "Key Laboratory of Forage and Endemic Crop Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, The Good Agriculture Practice Engineering Technology Research Center of Chinese and Mongolian Medicine, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010070, China" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1438-8677 (Electronic) 1435-8603 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Holoparasitic plants are interesting heterotrophic angiosperms. However, carrion- or faeces-mimicking is rarely described for such plants. There is no information on the pollination biology of Cynomoriaceae, despite the fact that these plants are rare and vulnerable. This is the first study to reveal pollination in a member of this family, Cynomorium songaricum, a root holoparasite with a distinctive and putrid floral odour. From 2016 to 2018, we studied the floral volatiles, floral visitors and pollinators, behavioural responses of visitors to floral volatiles, breeding system, flowering phenology and floral biology of two wild populations of C. songaricum in Alxa, Inner Mongolia, China. A total of 42 volatiles were identified in inflorescences of C. songaricum. Among these volatiles are compounds known as typical carrion scents, such as p-cresol, indole, dimethyl disulphide and 1-octen-3-ol. C. songaricum is pollinated by various Diptera, such as Musca domestica, M. stabulans (Muscidae), Delia setigera, D. platura (Anthomyiidae), Lucilia sericata, L. caesar (Calliphoridae), Wohlfahrtia indigens, Sarcophaga noverca, S. crassipalpis and Sarcophila meridionalis (Sarcophagidae). The inflorescence scent of C. songaricum attracted these pollinators. The plants significantly benefit from insect pollination, although wind can be a pollen vector in the absence of pollinators. C. songaricum is a cross-pollinated, self-incompatible plant. Our findings suggest that C. songaricum releases malodorous volatiles to attract Diptera to achieve pollination. This new example lays the foundation for further comparative studies in other members of this plant group and contributes to a better understanding of fly-pollinated, carrion mimicking plants" |
| Keywords: | Animals China Cynomorium/*chemistry/*physiology Flowers/*physiology *Odorants *Pollination Breeding system floral mimicry floral visitors flower scent fly pollination; |
| Notes: | "MedlineWang, D Yu, H Chen, G eng CGZH2018127/Scientific and Technological Achievements Transformation Project of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China/ 2018MS03077/Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia/ 30660015/National Natural Science Foundation of China/ 31260117/National Natural Science Foundation of China/ England 2020/09/12 Plant Biol (Stuttg). 2021 Jan; 23(1):111-120. doi: 10.1111/plb.13180. Epub 2020 Oct 30" |
