Investigating the effects of fire on pollinator-dependent distyly polymorphism.

ABSTRACT: Fire influences plant traits in several ways, but its effects on flower polymorphisms are unknown. Distyly, a floral polymorphism with long-styled (L-styled) and short-styled (S-styled) morphs exhibiting reciprocal herkogamy and a self-incompatibility system, depends on biotic pollination for intermorph pollination and reproduction. We investigated the effects of fire on the functioning of distyly, assessing morphology, floral reward, between-morph reciprocity, and reproductive success. We studied a population of the distylous hummingbird-pollinated Palicourea rigida (Rubiaceae) in the Brazilian savanna by comparing individuals from a fire-affected area with those from a contiguous unaffected area. Fire affected some floral traits, reducing the number of inflorescences (9.4%), corollas (4.

SUBMITTER: Trevizan R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12477302 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature