Functional dioecy in Gleditsia amorphoides (Fabaceae)
María Carolina Cerino A C D , Damián César Castro B C , Geraldina Alicia Richard A C , Eliana de Luján Exner A and José Francisco Pensiero A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Cátedra de Botánica Sistemática Agronómica, 86-Kreder 2805, 3080 HOF Esperanza, Argentina.
B Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Cátedra de Cultivos Intensivos, Cátedra de Dasonomía, 86-Kreder 2805, 3080 HOF Esperanza, Argentina.
C Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Av. Rivadavia 1917, C1033AAJ Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
D Corresponding author. Email: mccerino@fca.unl.edu.ar
Australian Journal of Botany 66(1) 85-93 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT16185
Submitted: 20 September 2016 Accepted: 13 December 2017 Published: 5 February 2018
Abstract
The genus Gleditsia (Fabaceae) comprises woody shrubs and trees that grow in temperate and subtropical regions around the world. This genus is characterised by sexual polymorphism and functionally unisexual flowers. Gleditsia amorphoides is the southernmost species of the genus, and is widely used as a source of timber and derived products for industrial applications (galactomannans are extracted from its seeds and saponins are derived from its fruits). The species is endemic to the Chaquenean Forest of South America. It is described as morphologically androdioecious, with male and perfect flowers appearing on different plants. In the current study, we characterised floral morphology, experimentally tested the breeding system and analysed flower visitors. Results indicated that G. amorphoides staminate flowers produce viable pollen grains and that perfect flowers have a functional gynoecium and empty anthers, where pollen abortion occurs early in floral development. The species relies on outcrossing, which depends mainly on pollen carried by insect pollinators, to produce seeds and fruits. We conclude that G. amorphoides is functionally dioecious, with staminate and pistillate floral morphs.
Additional keywords: Caesalpinioideae, Chaquenean Forest, plant reproduction, sexual polymorphism, unisexuality.
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