Title
Evolution of plant pollination systems: hypotheses and tests with the neotropical vine Dalechampia
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1993
Volume Number
47
Source Publication
Evolution
Abstract
The results of pollination and mating-system studies were integrated with a phylogenetic study of 40 Neotropical species of Dalechampia to reconstruct the history of evolutionary change in pollination systems (PS). It was concluded that PS in this genus have been evolutionarily labile; transitions among the 3 PS that have evolved were facilitated by preadaptation. Among the PS, pollination by fragrance-collecting male euglossine bees is relatively rare in the genus but has originated independently 3 or 4 times; pollination by resin-collecting female bees is very common, but has originated only once. The third PS is pollination by pollen-collecting bees. The paper includes a list of 48 species/ecotypes with their principal pollinators.