Status of self-pollen in bee pollination efficiency of white clover (Trifolium repens L.)

Flowers of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) are hermaphrodite and self-incompatible; their cross-pollination depends entirely on insect visitors, mainly bees (Apoidea). Because self-pollination of white clover occurs before flower anthesis, we determined whether selfing affected the pollination ef...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oecologia 1998-03, Vol.114 (1), p.93-99
Main Authors: Rodet, G, Vaissiere, B.E, Brevault, T, Torre Grossa, J.P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Clover
cross pollination
Economic plant physiology
Florets
Flowering, floral biology, reproduction patterns
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Growth and development
Honey bees
Inflorescences
Insect pollination
Life Sciences
Ovules
Plants and fungi
Pollen
Pollen tubes
Pollination
pollinators
Population Ecology
Self pollination
Trifolium repens
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Summary:Flowers of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) are hermaphrodite and self-incompatible; their cross-pollination depends entirely on insect visitors, mainly bees (Apoidea). Because self-pollination of white clover occurs before flower anthesis, we determined whether selfing affected the pollination efficiency of a honeybee visit. We compared pollen deposition in emasculated and intact flowers following (1) a single honeybee visit, (2) open-pollination for a day and (3) enclosure in a cloth bag to prevent insect visits. In emasculated flowers, open-pollination resulted in more pollen deposited than after one visit (+ 30%) which is consistent with flowers being visited more than once by pollinators during the course of a day. On intact flowers, saturation of the stigma was achieved after the first visit of a honeybee (near 280 grains) because of self-pollination. Additional visits did not increase pollen deposits, but they improved pollen efficiency in terms of numbers of pollen tubes reaching the ovules. In such a context of easily saturated stigmas, self-pollen does not inhibit cross-pollen activity, but represents a constraint for pollination which demands multiple bee visits to each flower to achieve maximum fertilization.
ISSN:0029-8549
1432-1939
DOI:10.1007/s004420050424