Pollination ecology and breeding system of two Calceolaria species in Chile

Abstract

Many angiosperms are exclusively dependent on pollinators for its reproduction (Matallana et al.2010; Arroyo et al. 2006). However, pollinators sometimes could be erratic and variable in relation to the ecological context (e.g., plant community composition), especially in alpine zones where it is known that pollinators decline in abundance with the increment in altitude (Arroyo and Squeo1990; Totland 1994). The latest could be critical in specialized pollination system and more over when specialized flowering plants inhabit in sympatry, potentially sharing the specialized floral visitors. In this context, it is expected that plant species develop reproductive strategies to ensure reproduction and/or exhibit some differences in their pollination ecology.