Scented nectar of Mucuna sempervirens and its ecological function

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1003.2012.08030

Abstract

Abstract:

Scented nectar secreted by flowers is an interesting natural phenomenon in angiosperms that is often overlooked by most researchers. Scented nectar is an evolutionary feature coupling the behavior between flower-visitors and their rewards. The effect of scented nectar on pollinator or nectar-thief is a scientific problem which deserves further exploration. We evaluated Mucuna sempervirens flowering dynamics, floral nectar volatiles, behaviors of Dremomys pernyi and Callosciurus erythraeus to inflorescence opening, nectar’s attraction effect to Apis cerana cerana, and the toxic effect of M. sempervirens nectar to Tapinoma sp. Aliphatic compounds (87.2%) were the main volatiles in nectar of M. sempervirens, whereas ketones accounted for 56.1% of the total volatiles. Lastly, volatile components with sulfur elements were absent from nectar samples. Previous studies of bat pollinated plant species have found that plants in the genus Mucuna always release sulfur compounds. Additionally, we found that the nectar of M. sempervirens was poisonous to Tapinoma sp. ant species, whereas it attracted A. cerana cerana using the Y olfactory bioassay. Squirrel species (D. pernyi and C. erythraeus) were effective pollinators of M. sempervirens, so we suspected that M. sempervirens might not be pollinated by bats only. This study provides data of pollination mechanisms in Mucuna and provides a new perspective of composition and function study of nectar in other plant groups in future.

Key words: Apis cerana cerana, Mucuna sempervirens, scented nectar, squirrel pollination, Tapinoma

Gao Chen, Ruirui Zhang, Kun Dong, Weichang Gong, Yongpeng Ma. Scented nectar of Mucuna sempervirens and its ecological function[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2012, 20(3): 360-367.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1003.2012.08030

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2012/V20/I3/360

Figures/Tables 4

Fig. 1 Inflorescence and visitors of Mucuna sempervirens as well as ants trapped by scented nectar. (a) The opening inflorescence of Mucuna sempervirens, calyx was densely covered with needle-like hairs which can cause itching after touch; (b) Dremomys pernyi is visiting a inflorescence; (c) All the flowers were opened after visiting; (d) Squirrel’s claws are piercing the perianth; (e) Apis cerana cerana is robbing nectar from the base of a flower; (f) The scented nectar secreted by flowers can trap ants.

Fig. 2 Bioassay of preference of Apis cerana cerana to nectar odor. T1 toT6 are glass tubes, among which the length of T1 and T2 are 30 cm, and those of T3 to T6 are 15 cm, and the diameter are 3 cm for all. Two Y-arm tubes are connected with a Tatu glass tube with a radius of 3 cm. Y-tube and Tatu tube are connected by a plastic hose. The arrows show the direction of airflow.

Table 1 The chemical constituents of volatiles from floral nectar of Mucuna sempervirens

化合物 Compounds	保留指数 Kovats index (RI)		化合物编号 CAS #	相对含量 Relative content (%)
	RI^a	RI^b
2,3-戊二酮 2,3-Pentanedione	700	696	600-14-6	6.4 (4.0-10.7)
3-羟基-2-丁酮 3-Hydroxy-2-butanone	716	720	513-86-0	4.4 (3.4-5.2)
3-己烯醛 3-Hexenal	801	800	4440-65-7	10.8 (4.7-17.1)
2,4-二甲基-3-戊酮 2,4-Dimethyl-3-pentanone	804	806	565-80-0	18.8 (15.4-21.6)
2,3-庚二酮 2,3-Heptanedione	817	816	96-04-8	26.5 (16.2-36.6)
环戊烯甲醛 Cyclopentanecarbaldehyde	854	857	872-53-7	9.6 (9.1-11.5)
2,4-己二烯醛 2,4-Hexadienal	910	913	142-83-6	2.6 (2.0-3.4)
a-蒎烯 α-Pinene	936	938	7785-26-4	1.9 (1.3-2.7)
苯甲醛 Benzaldehyde	961	958	100-52-7	4.8 (3.4-6.7)
1,8-桉叶素 1, 8-Cineole	1,038	1,046	670-82-6	1.0 (0-2.6)
十一烷 n-Undecane	1,096	1,100	1120-21-4	3.7 (0-8.3)
壬醛 Nonanal	1,105	1,102	124-19-6	5.4 (2.8-10.3)

Fig. 3 Attraction effect to Apis cerana cerana (left figure, P < 0.01) and toxic effect to Tapinoma sp. (right figure) of Mucuna sempervirens nectar. The white histograms represent the mor- tality of ants fed with nectar after 12, 24, 36 hours respectively and the gray histograms on behalf of the corresponding mortality of ants fed with sugar (control group). We found that there is no death after 12 hours in the control group. Star means significant difference (*, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01).

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