| Title: | Floral Aroma and Pollinator Relationships in Two Sympatric Late-Summer-Flowering Mediterranean Asparagus Species |
| Author(s): | Llorens L; Tomas J; Ferriol P; Garcia MT; Gil L; |
| Address: | "Interdisciplinary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Ctra. Palma-Valldemossa Km. 7.5, E-07122 Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain. Department of Biology (Botany), University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Ctra. Palma-Valldemossa Km. 7.5, E-07122 Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain. Scientific and Technical Services, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Carretera de Valldemossa Km. 7.5, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2223-7747 (Print) 2223-7747 (Electronic) 2223-7747 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "This research delves into plant-pollinator relationships within the Mediterranean region, focusing on two synchronous and sympatric asparagus species: A. acutifolius and A. albus. For the first time, the floral scents of the genus Asparagus are reported. We investigate the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in their floral scents and their impact on pollinator attraction. Captured flower-emitted VOCs underwent solid-phase microextraction of headspace (SPME-HS) and gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The investigation confirms distinctive aroma profiles for each species. A. albus predominantly emits benzene derivatives and sesquiterpenes, while A. acutifolius is characterized by carotenoid derivatives, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes. The only shared compounds between the two species are the sesquiterpenes (Z,E)-alpha-farnesene and (E,E)-alpha-farnesene. A positive correlation links peak floral aroma intensity (benzenoids in A. albus and ionones in A. acutifolius) with a higher pollinator visit frequency, emphasizing the critical role of intense floral scents in pollinator attraction. The study of reproductive aspects reveals almost complete gynodioecy in A. acutifolius, influencing unique dynamics for the two species. These adaptations hold significant importance within the Mediterranean ecosystem, particularly during the late dry summer period, when a limited number of plant species vie for a shared primary pollinator" |
| Keywords: | Asparagus floral scent flowering synchrony gynodioecy plant-pollinator interaction volatile compounds; |
| Notes: | "PublisherLlorens, Leonardo Tomas, Joan Ferriol, Pere Garcia, Maria Trinitat Gil, Lorenzo eng Switzerland 2023/09/28 Plants (Basel). 2023 Sep 10; 12(18):3219. doi: 10.3390/plants12183219" |
