Title: | Floral scent in Iris planifolia (Iridaceae) suggests food reward |
Author(s): | Zito P; Rosselli S; Bruno M; Maggio A; Sajeva M; |
Address: | "University of Palermo, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Viale delle Scienze, 90128, Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: zitopietro@gmail.com. University of Palermo, Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, Viale delle Scienze, 90128, Palermo, Italy. University of Palermo, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Viale delle Scienze, 90128, Palermo, Italy" |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.phytochem.2018.11.011 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1873-3700 (Electronic) 0031-9422 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Iris species can adopt different pollination strategies to attract their pollinators, generalized shelter-mimicking, specialized deceptive sexual-mimicking or food-rewarding. As attractive stimuli, Iris flowers may use their colours, large-size, symmetry, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, relatively few studies investigated Iris floral olfactory cues in the context of plant-visitor/pollinator interactions. In the present study we combined the identification of the floral volatiles of the nectariferous I. planifolia with insects visiting its flowers to gather data on its biology. Floral volatiles were collected in the natural environment by dynamic headspace and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Insect visitors/pollinators were also recorded. The volatile bouquet was aromatic-dominated with 1,4 dimethoxybenzene as major compound. Among the insects visiting its flowers, bumble and honey bees were the most abundant followed by hover flies. Overall, our results suggest that I. planifolia advertises its food reward by an aromatic dominated volatile composition" |
Keywords: | Animals Anisoles/analysis Bees Flowers/chemistry/*physiology Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Insecta/*physiology Iris Plant/chemistry/*physiology Italy Pollination Volatile Organic Compounds/*analysis Aromatic compounds Bumble bees Dynamic headspace; |
Notes: | "MedlineZito, Pietro Rosselli, Sergio Bruno, Maurizio Maggio, Antonella Sajeva, Maurizio eng England 2018/11/28 Phytochemistry. 2019 Feb; 158:86-90. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2018.11.011. Epub 2018 Nov 24" |