Morphological Variation of Some Floral Features of the Subfamily Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae) and Their Significance in Pollination Biology

Abstract

Scanninge lectrona ndl ight microscopyo bservationos f wet-preservedfl owerso f Bromeliaceaes ubfamily Pitcairnioideayei eld new informationo n the stigma, petal scales, and septal nectaries.V ariationso f the stigmat ypes are evidenta mongs everalg enera.T he gross structurafle atureso f the stigmad o not indicate definite pollination trends, but the shape of the lobes and papillae indicate a few specific modes. In pitcairnioidg enera,p etal scales, when functional,m ay aid in pollinationb y accumulatingth e nectars ecreted from the ovary, thus facilitating its availability to the pollinato