Reproductive ecology of Terminalia pallida Brandis (Combretaceae), an endemic and medicinal tree species of India

Terminalia pallida is a semi-evergreen tree species. Leaf fall and flushing events occur during premonsoon season; leaf flushing extends into the monsoon season. Flowering occurs during late dry season and early monsoon season. The flowers are bisexual and obligately outcrossed and this is enforced...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current science (Bangalore) 2012-03, Vol.102 (6), p.909-917
Main Authors: Raju, A. J. Solomon, Lakshmi, P. Vara, Ramana, K. Venkata
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Combretaceae
Flowers
Foraging
Fruits
Honey bees
Hymenoptera
Inflorescences
Insect pollination
Nectar
Plants
Pollen
Pollination
RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Terminalia pallida is a semi-evergreen tree species. Leaf fall and flushing events occur during premonsoon season; leaf flushing extends into the monsoon season. Flowering occurs during late dry season and early monsoon season. The flowers are bisexual and obligately outcrossed and this is enforced by self-incompatibility. Protogyny is a device to promote outcrossing, but it is weak. However, it is partly substantiated by gradual anther dehiscence over a period of six hours. Individual trees flower for a brief period of three weeks with massive floral display. The flowers offer both nectar and pollen for the foragers; the nectar provides five essential amino acids – threonine, arginine, histidine, lysine and methionine, and also some non-essential amino acids. The plant is entomophilous, and cross-pollination is effected mainly by large bees, wasps and butterflies. The natural fruit set is around 6% as against the 62% realized in manual xenogamous pollinations. Fruit fall to the ground when mature and dry, but wind is also instrumental in shedding fruits. The fallen fruits are dispersed by rain water and the seeds germinate and establish seedlings depending on the soil status. The study suggests that T. pallida does not suffer from pollinator limitation to maximize fruit set but from the limitation of compatible pollen, flower and fruit predation by a beetle, fruit predation by a rodent and fruit fungal infestation. Nutrient-poor rocky habitat appears to be an important limiting factor for the recruitment and population expansion.
ISSN:0011-3891