Wang D, Yu H, Chen G
Key Laboratory of Forage and Endemic Crop Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, The Good Agriculture Practice Engineering Technology Research Center of Chinese and Mongolian Medicine, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010070, China.
Plant Biol (Stuttg). 2021 Jan;23(1):111-120. doi: 10.1111/plb.13180. Epub 2020 Oct 30.
Holoparasitic plants are interesting heterotrophic angiosperms. However, carrion- or faeces-mimicking is rarely described for such plants. There is no information on the pollination biology of Cynomoriaceae, despite the fact that these plants are rare and vulnerable. This is the first study to reveal pollination in a member of this family, Cynomorium songaricum, a root holoparasite with a distinctive and putrid floral odour. From 2016 to 2018, we studied the floral volatiles, floral visitors and pollinators, behavioural responses of visitors to floral volatiles, breeding system, flowering phenology and floral biology of two wild populations of C. songaricum in Alxa, Inner Mongolia, China. A total of 42 volatiles were identified in inflorescences of C. songaricum. Among these volatiles are compounds known as typical carrion scents, such as p-cresol, indole, dimethyl disulphide and 1-octen-3-ol. C. songaricum is pollinated by various Diptera, such as Musca domestica, M. stabulans (Muscidae), Delia setigera, D. platura (Anthomyiidae), Lucilia sericata, L. caesar (Calliphoridae), Wohlfahrtia indigens, Sarcophaga noverca, S. crassipalpis and Sarcophila meridionalis (Sarcophagidae). The inflorescence scent of C. songaricum attracted these pollinators. The plants significantly benefit from insect pollination, although wind can be a pollen vector in the absence of pollinators. C. songaricum is a cross-pollinated, self-incompatible plant. Our findings suggest that C. songaricum releases malodorous volatiles to attract Diptera to achieve pollination. This new example lays the foundation for further comparative studies in other members of this plant group and contributes to a better understanding of fly-pollinated, carrion mimicking plants.
全寄生植物是有趣的异养被子植物。然而，此类植物很少有模拟腐肉或粪便的情况被描述。尽管锁阳科植物珍稀且易危，但关于其授粉生物学尚无相关信息。这是首次揭示该科成员锁阳（Cynomorium songaricum）授粉情况的研究，锁阳是一种具有独特腐臭花香气味的根寄生植物。2016年至2018年，我们对中国内蒙古阿拉善两个野生锁阳种群的花挥发物、访花者和传粉者、访花者对花挥发物的行为反应、繁育系统、开花物候和花生物学进行了研究。在锁阳的花序中共鉴定出42种挥发物。在这些挥发物中，有一些被认为是典型腐肉气味的化合物，如对甲酚、吲哚、二甲基二硫和1-辛烯-3-醇。锁阳由多种双翅目昆虫授粉，如家蝇、厩腐蝇（蝇科）、葱地种蝇、萝卜地种蝇（花蝇科）、丝光绿蝇、红头丽蝇（丽蝇科）、印度污蝇、肥须亚麻蝇、厚须亚麻蝇和南方亚麻蝇（麻蝇科）。锁阳的花序气味吸引了这些传粉者。尽管在没有传粉者的情况下风可以作为花粉传播媒介，但这些植物显著受益于昆虫授粉。锁阳是一种异花授粉、自交不亲和的植物。我们的研究结果表明，锁阳释放恶臭挥发物以吸引双翅目昆虫来实现授粉。这一新实例为该植物类群其他成员的进一步比较研究奠定了基础，并有助于更好地理解由蝇类授粉、模拟腐肉的植物。
