Polimorfismo floral e suas implicações em sistemas sexuais: O caso de Solanum melongena (Solanaceae)

Abstract

The reproductive success of plants may be related to several factors. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the different floral morphs presented by Solanum melongena in the context of reproductive biology and pollination. The study was conducted in Estiva Gerbi, São Paulo. Data on floral morphometry were collected with the aid of a manual caliper and stereomicroscope. To determine the reproductive system, the formation of pollen tubes at different times after manual pollination was observed. The characterization of floral visitors was conducted through field observations, and the frequency of their visits was calculated. There was a significant difference in size between the corollas and styles from different morphs, while only the anthers did not differ significantly. Regarding the sexual and reproductive systems, it was found that S. melongena is a facultative xenogamous species, and presents the and romonoecy phenomenon in which short-styled flowers are only functionally male. The conclusions were that, for S. melongena (hybrid Napoli), both of its floral morphs, as well as the action of its pollinators, contribute to the reproductive success of this species, as, even though it has a certain degree of self-compatibility, self-pollination was not sufficient for a fertilization of ovules as efficient as the one in cross-pollination.