Concerted evolution between flowers and pollinators in Salpichroa (Solanaceae)

ANDREA A. COCUCCI; MARCELA MORÉ; ANA C. IBAÑEZ

Inglaterra

Congreso; SCAPE Conference 2020; 2020

Scandinavian Association for Pollination Ecology

Available comparative results are ambiguous about the association between variable sets of floral traits and specific groups of pollinators. Here, we tested whether interspecific variation in floral traits is associated with concerted changes in pollination modes using both analytic and comparative approaches in Salpichroa (Solanaceae) a small Andean genus with a remarkable variation in floral phenotype and mainly pollinated by hummingbirds or moths. We quantified five floral traits (shape, size, fragrance, corolla reflectance, and nectar) relevant to the attraction of and functional fit with pollinators. Phylogenetic comparative analyses revealed significant association between floral traits and pollination mode. Overall flower variation showed two distinct groups, one comprised by the hummingbird-pollinated species, and another by moth-pollinated species. Ancestral reconstructions of floral traits and pollination modes suggest that ornithophilous syndrome would have evolved recently. Our results suggest that floral diversification in Salpichroa genus is mainly concomitant with an adaptation to different pollinators groups.