Pollination and breeding system of Couepia uiti (Mart. and Zucc.) Benth (Chrysobalanaceae) in the Pantanal da Nhecol\ue2ndia

The pollination biology and breeding system of Couepia uiti was studied. In this species, flowers opened at 06:00 AM anthesis, and nectar production began at around 0800 h, reached a maximum volume from 09:30 AM to 10:30 AM, and decreased thereafter. The nectar sugar concentration increased continuously, but showed an abrupt increase from 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Pollen release occurred at about 09:30 AM and was quickly collected. The stigmas became receptive at around 12:00 AM. The pollinators of C. uiti included the bees Apis mellifera, Xylocopa sp. and Bombus sp., and three species of wasps. This conclusion was based on the observation that these hymenopterans had C. uiti pollen on their bodies, visited the receptive flowers, and touched the anthers and stigmas, thereby promoting pollination. Of these floral visitors, A. mellifera was considered to be the most efficient pollinator. However, mixed pollination also occurred. The number of C. uiti flowers visited in the morning (n = 52) was three times smaller than in the afternoon (n = 62), and the species richness of floral visitors was also bigger in the afternoon (eight in the afternoon versus five in the morning). This finding indicated that these floral visitors preferred to exploit nectar rather than pollen. Controlled pollination experiments showed that C. uiti was a self-incompatible species that produced fruits only by cross-pollination. Treatments such as agamospermy and spontaneous and self-pollinations did not produce fruits

Pollination and breeding system of Couepia uiti (Mart. and Zucc.) Benth (Chrysobalanaceae) in the Pantanal da Nhecolândia

The pollination biology and breeding system of Couepia uiti was studied. In this species, flowers opened at 06:00 AM anthesis, and nectar production began at around 0800 h, reached a maximum volume from 09:30 AM to 10:30 AM, and decreased thereafter. The nectar sugar concentration increased continuously, but showed an abrupt increase from 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Pollen release occurred at about 09:30 AM and was quickly collected. The stigmas became receptive at around 12:00 AM. The pollinators of C. uiti included the bees Apis mellifera, Xylocopa sp. and Bombus sp., and three species of wasps. This conclusion was based on the observation that these hymenopterans had C. uiti pollen on their bodies, visited the receptive flowers, and touched the anthers and stigmas, thereby promoting pollination. Of these floral visitors, A. mellifera was considered to be the most efficient pollinator. However, mixed pollination also occurred. The number of C. uiti flowers visited in the morning (n = 52) was three times smaller than in the afternoon (n = 62), and the species richness of floral visitors was also bigger in the afternoon (eight in the afternoon versus five in the morning). This finding indicated that these floral visitors preferred to exploit nectar rather than pollen. Controlled pollination experiments showed that C. uiti was a self-incompatible species that produced fruits only by cross-pollination. Treatments such as agamospermy and spontaneous and self-pollinations did not produce fruits

Frugivory by Sturnira lilium bats (Phyllostomidae) on Solanum mauritianum (Solanaceae) in southeastern Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Phyllostomid bats constitute one key seed disperser group in the Neotropical forests and coadaptation between solanacean plants and phyllostomid bats might have occurred. The main goals of this study were: (1) to identify the potential disperser of S. mauritianum and to determine fruit removal rate; (2) to determine the effect of seed passage through the digestive system of S. lilium on germination; and (3) to describe the main fruit characteristics and architectural pattern of fruit display, to assess whether S. mauritianum fruits are exposed above the crown facilitating their removal by bats. Sturnira lilium was the most frequent and reliable fruit consumer of S. mauritianum and Rusty-margined Guan (Cracidae: Penelope superciliaris) and russet rice rat (Muridae: Euryoryzomys russatus) were potential secondary seed dispersers. Sturnira lilium defecated intact seeds that had a higher germination rate than non-ingested seeds. The greenish fruits emit a strong odor of night-ripening fruit. These characteristics, added to high fruit exposition index (2.4) indicating infructescences entirely exposed on the crowns, agree with the chiropterochory syndrome. Our results show that S. lilium is an effective seed disperser of S. mauritianum. Still, further studies are needed to understand the actual contribution of the non-bat fauna to seed dispersal. Os morcegos filostomideos constituem um grupo chave de dispersores de sementes nas florestas neotropicais e pode ter ocorrido coadaptacAo entre plantas solanaceas e estes morcegos. Os principais objetivos foram: (1) identificar o potencial dispersor de S. mauritianum e verificar a taxa de remocAo de frutos; (2) determinar o efeito da passagem de sementes pelo sistema digestivo de S. lilium na germinacAo; e (3) descrever as principais caracteristicas dos frutos e padrAo arquitetural de exibicAo destes frutos, para avaliar se frutos de S. mauritianum estAo expostos acima da copa a uma distancia a partir de folhas, facilitando a sua remocAo por morcegos em uma area no sudeste do Brasil. O morcego S. lilium foi o consumidor de frutos mais frequente e confiavel de S. mauritianum e Jacupemba (Cracidae: Penelope superciliaris) e o Rato-do-mato (Muridae: Euryoryzomys russatus) foram potenciais dispersores secundarios de sementes. Esta especie de morcego defecou sementes intatas e com taxa de germinacAo acima de sementes nAo ingeridas. Os frutos sAo esverdeados, emitem um forte odor pela noite quando maduros. Tais caracteristicas, somadas ao alto indice de exposicAo dos frutos (2.4) indicando infrutescencias totalmente expostas acima da copa das plantas concorda com a sindrome de quiropterocoria na qual frutas dispersas por morcegos sAo expostas acima da copa das arvores. Esse conjunto de aspectos reforca o fato de que esta especie morcego e um dispersor eficaz de sementes de S. mauritianum. Ainda assim, mais estudos sAo necessarios para entender a real contribuicAo da fauna de nAo-morcegos como dispersores de sementes.483183189Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)CAPES [724/2000, 724/2003]FAPESP [99/00024-8, 98/07654-5]CNPq [300539/94-0