Abstract Detail

Recent Topics Posters

Jaeger, Sierra [1], LoPresti, Eric [2], Foisy, Michael [3], Stessman, Madison [3], Darby, Addison [3].

Floral betalain evolution in the sand verbenas, Abronia (Nyctaginaceae).

Pollinators have been repeatedly established as agents of selection on floral traits, and shifts in a plant’s functional pollinators often select for changes in floral features such as flower color. Pollinator-mediation of floral color evolution has been demonstrated in plants that produce anthocyanins, the pigment responsible for pink and red coloration in most angiosperms, and has been hypothesized in groups of the core Caryophyllales, which instead create pink and red pigmentation with betalains. To explore the connection between functional pollinators and floral betalains, we describe floral betalain concentration variation across several species and populations of the western North American genus of sand verbenas, Abronia (Nyctaginaceae). Most Abronia sp. have white flowers which are open during the night, produce ample sweet-scented nectar, and have long and narrow floral tubes. In Abronia species in which pollination systems have been investigated, sphingid and noctuid moths are suggested as the primary pollinators. However, several Abronia species have evolved pink, yellow, or magenta flowers, and diurnal floral visitors, including butterflies and bee flies, are known to contribute to plant fitness in some of these species and populations with betalain-rich flowers. Using methanol extraction and spectrophotometry, we quantified betaxanthin and betacyanin concentrations of 560 inflorescences across 17 Abronia taxa (Berardi et al. 2013). Betalain concentrations are variable across the genus; future studies will investigate the relationship between Abronia floral betalains and effective pollinators.

1 - Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology, & Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
2 - Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology, & Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 70478, USA
3 - Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology, & Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 70478, United States

Keywords:
Abronia
betalains
Flower color
floral evolution
Pollination.

Presentation Type: Recent Topics Poster
Number: PRT008
Abstract ID:1354
Candidate for Awards:None