A STUDY ON THE POLLINATION ECOLOGY OF DILLENIA SUFFRUTICOSA MARTELLI

Abstract

Dillenia suffruticosa belongs to the family Dilleniaceae. It has large, open flowers and numerous anthers: features found in some primitive taxa, such as the Magnoliaceae. However, the anthers are poricidal and pollen is not freely exposed. Dillenia suffruticosa flowers have a high pollen-ovule ratio of 130,000 pollen grains per ovule. of fruit-set (84%). Control flowers show a high percentage Bagging experiments show that bee visits are necessary for pollination to occur. The bees employ an intrafloral buzz mechanism to release ' pollen from the poricidal anthers. Pollination is effected when the stigma makes contact with pollen on the ventral surface of the bee. The major pollinators involved are the Xylocopa bees. Smaller bees like Halictus and Nomia can be considered to be secondary pollinators. The pollination ecology of Dillenia suffruticosa shows interesting parallels with that of malabathricum morphology. despite major differences Melastoma in floral morphology.