Zhou Xiang, Liu Qiang, Han Jessie Yc, Gao JiangYun
Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Sci Rep. 2016 Feb 24;6:21435. doi: 10.1038/srep21435.
Orchids are generally recognized to have specialist pollination systems and low fruit set is often thought to be characteristic of the family. In this study, we investigated the reproductive ecology of Cleisostoma linearilobatum, an epiphytic tropical orchid, in a holy hill forest fragment and a traditional tea garden in SW China using comparable methods. C. linearilobatum is self-compatible and dependent on insects for pollination. Fruit production in natural conditions was both pollinator- and resource-limited. However, the natural fruit set remained stable over multiple years at both sites. Pollination observations showed that C. linearilobatum has a generalized pollination system and seven insect species were observed as legitimate pollinators. Although the visit frequencies of different pollinators were different in the two sites, the pollinator assemblages ensured reproductive success of C. linearilobatum in both study sites over multiple years. The results partly explain why C. linearilobatum is so successful in the area, and also suggest that holy hill forest fragments and traditional tea gardens in Xishuangbanna are important in preserving orchids, especially those with generalist pollination.
兰花通常被认为具有专门的授粉系统，人们常常认为低坐果率是该科植物的特征。在本研究中，我们使用可比方法，对中国西南部一片神山森林片段和一个传统茶园中的附生热带兰花线叶隔距兰的繁殖生态学进行了调查。线叶隔距兰具有自交亲和性，依赖昆虫进行授粉。自然条件下的果实产量受到传粉者和资源的限制。然而，在这两个地点，多年来自然坐果率保持稳定。授粉观察表明，线叶隔距兰具有广义授粉系统，观察到七种昆虫为合法传粉者。尽管不同传粉者在两个地点的访花频率不同，但传粉者组合确保了线叶隔距兰在两个研究地点多年来的繁殖成功。研究结果部分解释了线叶隔距兰在该地区如此成功的原因，也表明西双版纳的神山森林片段和传统茶园对于保护兰花，尤其是那些具有广义授粉的兰花具有重要意义。
