Reproductive biology of Parkia platycephala Benth (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae, clado mimosoide) / Biologia reprodutiva de Parkia platycephala Benth (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae, clado mimosoide)

• Autor(a) principal: Chaves, Samyra Ramos
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Santos, Ricardo Rodrigues dos, Silva, André Luiz Gomes da
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista Veras
• Texto Completo: https://ojs.brazilianjournals.com.br/ojs/index.php/BRJD/article/view/18455
• topic: Andromonoecy; Chiropterophily; Polyad.; Andromonoecy; Chiropterophily; Polyad.

The aim of this study was to investigate the reproductive biology of Parkia platycephala, a tree that occurs in the Cerrado biome (savanna-like tree vegetation), in Maranhão State, Northeast Brazil. The species is self-incompatible and under natural conditions fecundity is low. In Maranhão, P. platycephala blooms from June to August and set fruits from September to October. Flowers are inserted into ball-like capitulum with long peduncle and are of two types: the apex of the capitulum is functionally male and contains nectar-producing flowers, while basal flowers are hermaphrodite and do not produce nectar. Pollen grains are grouped in permanent indissoluble polyad. Anthesis is nocturnal and begins around 17:00h. The main resource offered by flowers to visitors is nectar produced by apical flowers. The unit of pollination is the capitulum visited by nectarivorous bats. Three species of bats were record visiting flowers: Phyllostomus hastatus (Phyllostominae) Carolia perspicillata (Carollinae) and Glossophaga soricina (Glossophaginae).