Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T11:01:09.744Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Pollination of Dendrobium infundibulum, Cymbidium insigne (Orchidaceae) and Rhododendron lyi (Ericaceae) by Bombus eximius (Apidae) in Thailand: a possible case of floral mimicry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Gösta Kjellsson ,
Finn N. Rasmussen  and
David Dupuy
Gösta Kjellsson
Affiliation:
Institute of Plant Ecology, University of Copenhagen, φster Farimagsgade 2D, DK-1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Finn N. Rasmussen
Affiliation:
Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Copenhagen, Gothersgade 140, DK-1307 Copenhagen K, Denmark
David Dupuy
Affiliation:
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, England
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The orchids Dendrobium infundibulum and Cymbidium insigne are pollinated by the bumblebee Bombus eximius, which also pollinates the ericaceous shrub Rhododendron lyi, A study of the three plants and the bumblebee in maquis-like mountainous vegetation in northern Thailand suggests that they form a floral mimicry system with two mimics (the orchids) to one model (R. lyi). The flowers of the two orchid species offer no food reward to pollinators. Flowers of the three species show definite morphological and visual resemblance, and the species overlap to a great extent in flowering phenology and habitat Mimic flowers were much less numerous than model flowers, which occurred abundantly in the area. The rate of pollinaria removal was very low in both orchid species, resulting in a relatively small percentage of fruit set, especially in D. infundibulum. Infrequency of pollinator visits was, however, somewhat counterbalanced by long-lasting flowers. The pollinaria of the two orchid species are differently positioned on the bee, hence interference between the different reproductive systems is minimized. This is the first report which indicates floral mimicry from tropical Asia.

Keywords

BombusCymbidiumDendrobiumfloral mimicryOrchidaceaepollinationRhododendron
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 1 , Issue 4 , November 1985 , pp. 289 - 302
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

LITERATURE CITED

Ackerman, J. D. 1983a. Euglossine bee pollination of the orchid Cocleanthes lipscombiae: a food source mimic. American Journal of Botany 70:830–834.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ackerman, J. D. 1983b. Specificity and mutual dependency of the orchid-euglossine bee interaction. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 20:301–314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bierzychudek, P. 1981. Asclepias, Lantana and Epidendrum: a floral mimicry complex? Biotropica 13:54–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boyden, T. C. 1980. Floral mimicry by Epidendrum iabaguense (Orchidaceae) in Panama. Evolution 34:135–136.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cullen, J. 1980. A revision of Rhododendron 1. Subgenus Rhododendron and Pogonanthum. Notes from the Royal Botanical Garden, Edinburgh 39:1207.Google Scholar
Dafni, A. 1983. Pollination of Orchis caspia – a nectarless plant which deceives the pollinators of nectariferous species from other plant families. Journal of Ecology 71:p467–474.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dafni, A. & Ivri, Y. 1981a. The flower biology of Cephalanthera longifolia (Orchidaceae) – pollen imitation and facultative floral mimicry. Plant Systematics and Evolution 137:229–240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dafni, A. & Ivri, Y. 1981b. Floral mimicry between Orchis israelitica Baumann and Dafni (Orchida ceae) and Bellevalia flexuosa Boiss. (Liliaceae). Oecologia 49:229–232.Google Scholar
Frison, T. H. 1934. Records and descriptions of Bremus and Psithymis from Formosa and the Asiatic mainland. Transactions of the Natural History Society of Formosa 24:150–185.Google Scholar
Faegri, L. & Van Der Pijl, L. 1979. The principles of pollination ecology (3rd edition). Pergamon Press, Oxford. 244 pp.Google Scholar
Gilbert, L. E. & Raven, P. H. 1975. Coevolution of animals and plants. University of Texas Press, Austin and London. 245 pp.Google Scholar
Little, R. J. 1983. A review of floral food deception mimicries with comments on floral mutualism. Pp. 294–309 in Jones, C. E. & Little, R. J. (eds). Handbook of experimental pollination biology. S & AE Scientific and Academic Edition, New York. 558 pp.Google Scholar
Macior, L. W. 1971. Co-evolution of plants and animals - systematic insights from plant-insect interactions. Taxon 20:17–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nilsson, L. A. 1980. The pollination ecology of Dactylorhiza sambucina (Orchidaceae). Botaniska Notiser 133:367–385.Google Scholar
Nilsson, L. A. 1983a. Anthecology of Orchis mascula (Orchidaceae). Nordic Journal of Botany 3:157–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nilsson, L. A. 1983b. Mimesis of bellflower (Campanula) by the red helleborine orchid Cephalanthera rubra. Nature 305:799–800.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seidenfaden, G. 1984. Orchid genera in Thailand XL - Cymbidieae Pfitz. Opera Botanica 72:1–124.Google Scholar
Seidenfaden, G. 1985. Orchid genera in Thailand XII. - Dendrobium Sw. Opera Botanica 83:1–1295.Google Scholar
Sleumer, H. 1963. Studies in the flora of Thailand 21, Ericaceae. Dansk Botanisk Arkiv 23:78–81.Google Scholar
Thien, L. B. & Marks, B. G. 1972. The floral biology of Arethusa bulboso, Calopogon tuberosus and Pogonia ophioglossoides (Orchidaceae). Canadian Journal of Botany 50:2319–2325.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, J. R. G. 1984. Darwin's coffin and Doctor Pangloss - do adaptationist models explain mimicry? Pp. 313–361 in Shorrocks, B. (ed.). Evolutionary ecology. Blackwell, Oxford. 418 pp.Google Scholar
Vane-Wright, R. T. 1976. A unified classification of mimetic resemblances. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 8:25–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Der Pijl, L. & Dodson, C. H. 1966. Orchid flowers, their pollination and evolution. University of Miami Press, Coral Cables, Florida. 214 pp.Google Scholar
Vogel, S. 1978. Evolutionary shifts from reward to deception in pollen flowers. Pp. 89–96 in Richards, A. J. (ed.). The pollination of flowers by insects. Academic Press, London. 213 pp.Google Scholar
Wiens, D. 1978. Mimicry in plants. Evolutionary Biology 11:365–403.Google Scholar
Williamson, G. B. & Black, E. M. 1981. Mimicry in hummingbird-pollinated plants? Ecology 62:484–496.CrossRefGoogle Scholar