Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 2072, Ancón, Balboa, Republic of Panama.
Am J Bot. 2002 Mar;89(3):527-34. doi: 10.3732/ajb.89.3.527.
This study presents breeding and pollination systems of Aristolochia maxima and A. inflata in a seasonal tropical forest of Panama. Aristolochia is the most diverse genus of Aristolochiaceae, with ∼120 species distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics. All the Aristolochia species studied so far are pollinated by saprophagous flies of different families, which are presumably deceived by floral odor. Flowers of many species have trap-and-release mechanisms. The flowers attract and imprison pollinators during the female stage first day of flowering and release them after anther dehiscence. Pollination systems of A. maxima and A. inflata are different from those of other Aristolochia in lacking trap mechanisms. Furthermore, the pollinators oviposit in the flowers, and their larvae grow on the fallen, decaying flowers on the ground. Therefore, the plants have a mutualistic relationship with their pollinators. Self-compatible A. inflata is pollinated by Megaselia sakaiae (Phoridae, Diptera). The pollinator may be specialized to Aristolochia flowers, which is the only substrate for larval development. On the other hand, self-incompatible A. maxima is pollinated by Drosophila spp. (Drosophilidae, Diptera), which utilize Aristolochia flowers as a breeding site only occasionally. This pollination mutualism might have evolved from deceit pollination.
本研究介绍了巴拿马季节性热带森林中大叶钩吻和钩吻的繁殖和传粉系统。钩吻属是马兜铃科中最多样化的属，约有 120 种分布于热带和亚热带地区。迄今为止，所有研究过的钩吻属物种都是由不同科的腐生蝇类传粉的，这些蝇类可能是被花的气味所欺骗。许多物种的花朵都有陷阱和释放机制。花朵在雌性阶段的第一天开花时吸引并囚禁传粉者，然后在花药开裂后释放它们。大叶钩吻和钩吻的传粉系统与其他钩吻属的传粉系统不同，缺乏陷阱机制。此外，传粉者在花朵中产卵，它们的幼虫在地上掉落和腐烂的花朵上生长。因此，这些植物与它们的传粉者形成了互利关系。自交亲和的钩吻由 Megaselia sakaiae（蚤科，双翅目）传粉。传粉者可能专门针对钩吻花，这是幼虫发育的唯一基质。另一方面，自交不亲和的大叶钩吻则由果蝇属（果蝇科，双翅目）传粉，它们只是偶尔将钩吻花用作繁殖地。这种传粉互惠关系可能是从欺骗性传粉进化而来的。
