ISHS Acta Horticulturae 288: VI International Symposium on Pollination
COEVOLUTION OF STAMENS AND CARPELS IN CUCURBITS AND OF THEIR INSECT POLLINATORS |
| Authors: | G.P. Shrivastava, U. Shrivastava |
| Abstract:
Cucurbitaceae with its unisexuality stands unique entomophilous family since insect pollination is chiefly of wide occurrence in bisexual plants. The degree of floral adaptations shown by cucurbits surpasses the floral adaptations of many bisexual plant families since their stamens and carpels have undergone great evolutionary changes. The basic synandrous anthers in different cucurbits have evolved into diverse forms of pollen transference by undergoing varying degree and patterns of cohesion among their anthers. The stigmatic lobes of tricarpellary synarpous basic plan of cucurbit gynoecium has also undergone synchronous evolutionary modifications. In majority of cases the specific lobing patterns of stigmas have evolved specific mode of pollination involving different groups of pollinators. Thus cucurbits represent an unique case where unisexuality is marked with synchronous coevolution of stamens, carpels and their pollinating insects. | |
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