Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
Am J Bot. 2005 Nov;92(11):1862-70. doi: 10.3732/ajb.92.11.1862.
The aerodynamics of wind pollination selects for an intimate relation between form and function in anemophilous plants. Inflorescence architecture and floral morphology vary extensively within the Poaceae, but the functional implication of this variation remains largely unknown. Here we quantify associations between floret, culm, and inflorescence characteristics for 25 grass species in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, and consider whether different architectures may implement unique mechanisms to aid pollination. The species cluster into four categories defined by all combinations of floret size (small vs. large) and inflorescence architecture (compact vs. diffuse). Species differed significantly for all 18 traits that we measured, with 12 traits differing only between floret-size classes, three differing only between inflorescence types, and three differing among both (independently or by an interaction). Based on these morphological associations, we discuss the aerodynamic and functional consequences of each category for wind pollination. The independence of inflorescence and floral traits has probably allowed exploration of all possible combinations of inflorescence architecture and floret size during the evolution of the Poaceae.
风媒传粉的空气动力学选择了在风媒植物中形态和功能之间的密切关系。在禾本科植物中，花序结构和花形态变化广泛，但这种变化的功能意义在很大程度上仍然未知。在这里，我们对加拿大艾伯塔省卡纳纳斯基斯的 25 种禾本科植物的小花、茎和花序特征进行了量化关联分析，并考虑了不同的结构是否可能实现独特的机制来辅助传粉。这些物种根据小花大小（小 vs. 大）和花序结构（紧凑 vs. 扩散）的所有组合分为四个类别。我们测量的 18 个特征中，所有物种都有显著差异，其中 12 个特征仅在小花大小类别之间存在差异，3 个特征仅在花序类型之间存在差异，3 个特征在两者之间存在差异（独立或通过相互作用）。基于这些形态关联，我们讨论了每个类别对风授粉的空气动力学和功能后果。花序和花特征的独立性可能允许在禾本科植物的进化过程中探索花序结构和小花大小的所有可能组合。
