Reproductive biology of carnivorous plants: Drosera communis (Droseraceae), Utricularia hispida and U. tricolor (Lentibulariaceae)

• Grant number: 14/11444-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany
• Principal Investigator: Emerson Ricardo Pansarin
• Grantee: Bruno Henrique Garcia
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Since the first studies involving plants, carnivory has intrigued researchers with respect to the diversity of traps, how these plants attract and capture the animals, types of glands related to digestion, and other vegetative features. Although the mechanisms involved in the prey capture are well studied, data on their pollinators and reproduction strategy are very scarce, whereas, for Utricularia, there are only two studies in this way and, for Drosera, only one. For South American species, studies on reproductive biology are even more scarce. Based on these facts, this project aims to study the reproductive biology of Drosera communis, Utricularia hispid, and U. tricolor, which is sympatric in marshy areas along Cerrado regions of the municipality of Cajuru, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The floral biology of the selected species will be investigated through studies of floral morphology and histochemical tests of the reward-producing regions. The observation of pollinators and their pollination mechanism also will be performed. Moreover, manual manipulations (cross-pollination, emasculation, hand self-pollination, and spontaneous self-pollination) will be performed in order to verify the reproductive system of the species. The fruit set also will be evaluated under natural conditions. The results obtained in this study will contribute to the understanding of the diversity of rewards, pollinators, and pollination mechanisms in both genera Drosera and Utricularia.(AU)