Flowering mechanisms, pollination strategies and floral scent analyses of syntopically co-flowering Homalomena spp. (Araceae) on Borneo
In this study, the flowering mechanisms and pollination strategies of seven species of the highly diverse genus Homalomena (Araceae) were investigated in native populations of West Sarawak, Borneo. The floral scent compositions were also recorded for six of these species. The selected taxa belong to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Blackwell Publishing Ltd
2016
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| Online Access: | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/14268/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/14268/1/Flowering%20mechanisms%20-%20Copy.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848837608644280320 |
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| author | Hoe, Yin Ch Gibernau, Marc Maia, Artur Campos Dália Wong, Sin Yeng Dafni, Amots |
| author_facet | Hoe, Yin Ch Gibernau, Marc Maia, Artur Campos Dália Wong, Sin Yeng Dafni, Amots |
| author_sort | Hoe, Yin Ch |
| building | UNIMAS Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | In this study, the flowering mechanisms and pollination strategies of seven species of the highly diverse genus Homalomena (Araceae) were investigated in native populations of West Sarawak, Borneo. The floral scent compositions were also recorded for six of these species. The selected taxa belong to three out of four complexes of the section Cyrtocladon (Hanneae, Giamensis and Borneensis). The species belonging to the Hanneae complex exhibited longer anthesis (53–62 h) than those of the Giamensis and Borneensis complexes (ca. 30 h). Species belonging to the Hanneae complex underwent two floral scent emission events in consecutive days, during the pistillate and staminate phases of anthesis. In species belonging to the Giamensis and Borneensis complexes, floral scent emission was only evident to the human nose during the pistillate phase. A total of 33 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in floral scent analyses of species belonging to the Hanneae complex, whereas 26 VOCs were found in samples of those belonging to the Giamensis complex. The floral scent blends contained uncommon compounds in high concentration, which could ensure pollinator discrimination. Our observations indicate that scarab beetles (Parastasia gestroi and P. nigripennis; Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae) are the pollinators of the investigated species of Homalomena, with Chaloenus schawalleri (Chrysomelidae, Galeuricinae) acting as a secondary pollinator. The pollinators utilise the inflorescence for food, mating opportunities and safe mating arena as rewards. Flower-breeding flies (Colocasiomyia nigricauda and C. aff. heterodonta; Diptera, Drosophilidae) and terrestrial hydrophilid beetles (Cycreon sp.; Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae) were also frequently recovered from inflorescences belonging to all studied species (except H. velutipedunculata), but they probably do not act as efficient pollinators. Future studies should investigate the post-mating isolating barriers among syntopically co-flowering Homalomena sharing the same visiting insects. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T06:42:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | unimas-14268 |
| institution | Universiti Malaysia Sarawak |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T06:42:22Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Blackwell Publishing Ltd |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | unimas-142682023-03-02T02:29:45Z http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/14268/ Flowering mechanisms, pollination strategies and floral scent analyses of syntopically co-flowering Homalomena spp. (Araceae) on Borneo Hoe, Yin Ch Gibernau, Marc Maia, Artur Campos Dália Wong, Sin Yeng Dafni, Amots GE Environmental Sciences Q Science (General) In this study, the flowering mechanisms and pollination strategies of seven species of the highly diverse genus Homalomena (Araceae) were investigated in native populations of West Sarawak, Borneo. The floral scent compositions were also recorded for six of these species. The selected taxa belong to three out of four complexes of the section Cyrtocladon (Hanneae, Giamensis and Borneensis). The species belonging to the Hanneae complex exhibited longer anthesis (53–62 h) than those of the Giamensis and Borneensis complexes (ca. 30 h). Species belonging to the Hanneae complex underwent two floral scent emission events in consecutive days, during the pistillate and staminate phases of anthesis. In species belonging to the Giamensis and Borneensis complexes, floral scent emission was only evident to the human nose during the pistillate phase. A total of 33 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in floral scent analyses of species belonging to the Hanneae complex, whereas 26 VOCs were found in samples of those belonging to the Giamensis complex. The floral scent blends contained uncommon compounds in high concentration, which could ensure pollinator discrimination. Our observations indicate that scarab beetles (Parastasia gestroi and P. nigripennis; Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae) are the pollinators of the investigated species of Homalomena, with Chaloenus schawalleri (Chrysomelidae, Galeuricinae) acting as a secondary pollinator. The pollinators utilise the inflorescence for food, mating opportunities and safe mating arena as rewards. Flower-breeding flies (Colocasiomyia nigricauda and C. aff. heterodonta; Diptera, Drosophilidae) and terrestrial hydrophilid beetles (Cycreon sp.; Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae) were also frequently recovered from inflorescences belonging to all studied species (except H. velutipedunculata), but they probably do not act as efficient pollinators. Future studies should investigate the post-mating isolating barriers among syntopically co-flowering Homalomena sharing the same visiting insects. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2016-07-01 Article PeerReviewed text en http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/14268/1/Flowering%20mechanisms%20-%20Copy.pdf Hoe, Yin Ch and Gibernau, Marc and Maia, Artur Campos Dália and Wong, Sin Yeng and Dafni, Amots (2016) Flowering mechanisms, pollination strategies and floral scent analyses of syntopically co-flowering Homalomena spp. (Araceae) on Borneo. Plant Biology, 18 (4). pp. 563-576. ISSN 1435-8603 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84957812475&partnerID=40&md5=21007b0146f0ecac5507629554fbb09f DOI: 10.1111/plb.12431 |
| spellingShingle | GE Environmental Sciences Q Science (General) Hoe, Yin Ch Gibernau, Marc Maia, Artur Campos Dália Wong, Sin Yeng Dafni, Amots Flowering mechanisms, pollination strategies and floral scent analyses of syntopically co-flowering Homalomena spp. (Araceae) on Borneo |
| title | Flowering mechanisms, pollination strategies and floral scent analyses of syntopically co-flowering Homalomena spp. (Araceae) on Borneo |
| title_full | Flowering mechanisms, pollination strategies and floral scent analyses of syntopically co-flowering Homalomena spp. (Araceae) on Borneo |
| title_fullStr | Flowering mechanisms, pollination strategies and floral scent analyses of syntopically co-flowering Homalomena spp. (Araceae) on Borneo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flowering mechanisms, pollination strategies and floral scent analyses of syntopically co-flowering Homalomena spp. (Araceae) on Borneo |
| title_short | Flowering mechanisms, pollination strategies and floral scent analyses of syntopically co-flowering Homalomena spp. (Araceae) on Borneo |
| title_sort | flowering mechanisms, pollination strategies and floral scent analyses of syntopically co-flowering homalomena spp. (araceae) on borneo |
| topic | GE Environmental Sciences Q Science (General) |
| url | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/14268/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/14268/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/14268/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/14268/1/Flowering%20mechanisms%20-%20Copy.pdf |