Articles
Melittophily and malacophily in Ipomoea pes-caprae (Convolvulaceae)
Authors:
A J Solomon Raju ,
Andhra University
Visakhapatnam India, IN
About A
Environmental Sciences. Working as Professor
My work includes reproductive ecology, conservation biology, biodiversity conservation and management, butterfly ecology, ornithology, entomology and plant-animal interactions
P Suvarna Raju,
Department of Environmental Sciences, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam 530003, India
K Venkata Ramana
Department of Environmental Sciences, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam 530003, India
Abstract
Ipomoea pes-caprae is a mangrove associate often found along shorelines. It flowers during August–February and is hermaphroditic and an obligate out-crosser due to self-incompatibility. It is both melittophilous and malacophilous. The natural fruit set rate is less than 10% probably due to the wastage of pollen in self-pollination, the ephemeral nature of flowers, predation, and nutrient requirements. Seeds are impermeable to water and germinate readily if they are covered and abraded by sand; those exposed to seawater rot and subsequently perish. The low natural fruit set rate, the mortality of seeds and seedlings due to rotting, burial by sand, space constraint, and shading by established plants appear to be regulating the population size of I. pes-caprae. The plant also propagates vegetatively through the expansion of branches that are broken into fragments by storm waves, transported by water, and then washed onshore into new locations.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/tapro.v6i2.7190
TAPROBANICA, 2014. Vol. 06, No. 02: pp. 90-99 pls. 7, 8.
How to Cite:
Solomon Raju, A.J., Suvarna Raju, P. and Venkata Ramana, K., 2014. Melittophily and malacophily in Ipomoea pes-caprae (Convolvulaceae). TAPROBANICA: The Journal of Asian Biodiversity, 6(2), pp.90–99. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/tapro.v6i2.7190
Published on
31 Aug 2014.
Peer Reviewed
Downloads
