Corolla Morphology Facilitates Both Autogamy and Bumblebee Pollination in Mimulus guttatus

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Issue Date
2004-11-01Author
Arathi, H. S.
Kelly, John K.
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
Type
Article
Article Version
Scholarly/refereed, publisher version
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The showy corolla of Mimulus guttatus is generally considered an adaptation to attract pollinators. We use phenotypic manipulations to demonstrate that corolla morphology plays a critical mechanical role in both outcrossing and self‐fertilization. In the absence of pollinators, the lower portion of the corolla facilitates autogamy by retaining pollen released from the anthers. A substantial portion of self‐fertilization seems to occur late in the floral life span as the stigma contacts the corolla. When pollinators are present, the corolla facilitates outcrossing before, during, and after insect visitation. A large fraction of cross‐pollen is actually captured by the corolla and not by the stigma. This “indirect” pathway for pollen reception suggests that a large fraction of cross‐pollination in M. guttatus actually occurs long after a pollinator departs from a flower.
ISSN
1058-5893Collections
Citation
Arathi, H. S.; Kelly, John K. (2007). "Corolla Morphology Facilitates Both Autogamy and Bumblebee Pollination in Mimulus guttatus." International Journal of Plant Science, 165(6):1039-1045. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1086/423876
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