Study on the reproduction of Colquhounia coccinea

Abstract

[Objective] The torch flower (Colquhounia coccinea) exhibits a typical avian syndrome, and thus has the potential to be developed as a bird-attracting landscape plant. [Methods] With the C. coccinea populations in natural and artificial habitats as the research object, the flowering phenology, flower traits, flower visitor and flower visiting behavior, breeding system, and seed germination traits were studied through observation and experiment, to understand the reproductive traits of C. coccinea and the attraction potential of different flower visitors. [Results] The overall flowering period of C. coccinea lasted for about three months, and the single flowering period was (9.6±0.6) d. Nectar was relatively abundant and dilute, with short corolla tubes and hexose-dominated nectar sugar composition; flower visitors were mainly Apis cerana and a variety of nectarivorous birds, especially short-billed generalist birds, and C. coccinea still attracted bird visitors in artificial habitats. It was completely self-compatble, but pollinators were necessary for pollination, and pollen limitation did not exist. There was no significant difference in seed germination ability among the pollination treatments. A . cerana could pollinate it effectively, and the pollination effectiveness of birds needs to be further verified. [Conclusion] C. coccinea showed a long display time and had an ability to attract birds to visit the flowers. A large number of seedlings can be produced via sexual reproduction.

Keywords

• colquhounia coccinea
• reproductive biology
• mating system
• nectarivorous bird