Reproductive and Pollination Biology of the Endemic Hawaiian Cotton, Gossypium Tomentosum (Malvaceae) John M
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Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Publications 2010 Reproductive and Pollination Biology of the Endemic Hawaiian Cotton, Gossypium tomentosum (Malvaceae) John M. Pleasants Iowa State University, [email protected] Jonathan F. Wendel Iowa State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/eeob_ag_pubs Part of the Botany Commons, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Genetics Commons, and the Plant Breeding and Genetics Commons The ompc lete bibliographic information for this item can be found at http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ eeob_ag_pubs/55. For information on how to cite this item, please visit http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ howtocite.html. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Publications by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Reproductive and Pollination Biology of the Endemic Hawaiian Cotton, Gossypium tomentosum (Malvaceae) Abstract Gossypium tomentosum is a cotton species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. We studied several aspects of its reproductive biology, including potential pollinators, floral biology, and diurnal and seasonal flowering phenology. Flower visitors were observed in G. tomentosum populations on O‘ahu, Kaho‘olawe, and Maui. Primary visitors were introduced species, honeybees and carpenter bees, both of which were pollinating the flowers. No native bee species were seen visiting flowers. In examining floral biology we found that in some cases 10% of flowers had styles that were as short as the anthers or were recurved toward the anthers. In the greenhouse, in the absence of pollinators, these flowers were the only ones that set fruit. Flowering of G. tomentosum commences in January and February, following the rainy season, peaks in May, and may continue into August and September. In one year, after higher than average precipitation during the rainy season, there was a greater abundance of flowering, and flowering persisted later into the year. Transgenic varieties of commercial cotton, G. hirsutum, are grown in Hawai‘i and are interfertile with G. tomentosum. Honeybees and carpenter bees are also known pollinators of commercial cotton. Because these pollinators are long-distance foragers, we estimate that transgenic cotton fields would have to be greater than 10 km from a G. tomentosum population to prevent gene flow. Disciplines Botany | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Genetics | Plant Breeding and Genetics Comments This article is from Pacific Science 64 (2010): 45, doi:10.2984/64.1.045. Posted with permission. This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/eeob_ag_pubs/55 Reproductive and Pollination Biology of the Endemic Hawaiian Cotton, Gossypium tomentosum (Malvaceae) Author(s): John M. Pleasants and Jonathan F. Wendel Source: Pacific Science, 64(1):45-55. Published By: University of Hawai'i Press DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2984/64.1.045 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.2984/64.1.045 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/ terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. Reproductive and Pollination Biology of the Endemic Hawaiian Cotton, Gossypium tomentosum (Malvaceae)1 John M. Pleasants2,3 and Jonathan F. Wendel2 Abstract: Gossypium tomentosum is a cotton species endemic to the Hawaiian Is- lands. We studied several aspects of its reproductive biology, including potential pollinators, floral biology, and diurnal and seasonal flowering phenology. Flower visitors were observed in G. tomentosum populations on O‘ahu, Kaho‘o- lawe, and Maui. Primary visitors were introduced species, honeybees and car- penter bees, both of which were pollinating the flowers. No native bee species were seen visiting flowers. In examining floral biology we found that in some cases 10% of flowers had styles that were as short as the anthers or were re- curved toward the anthers. In the greenhouse, in the absence of pollinators, these flowers were the only ones that set fruit. Flowering of G. tomentosum com- mences in January and February, following the rainy season, peaks in May, and may continue into August and September. In one year, after higher than average precipitation during the rainy season, there was a greater abundance of flower- ing, and flowering persisted later into the year. Transgenic varieties of commer- cial cotton, G. hirsutum, are grown in Hawai‘i and are interfertile with G. tomentosum. Honeybees and carpenter bees are also known pollinators of com- mercial cotton. Because these pollinators are long-distance foragers, we estimate that transgenic cotton fields would have to be greater than 10 km from a G. to- mentosum population to prevent gene flow. Amajorconcernabout the long-term per- drained volcanic loams on the leeward side sistence of many plant species is the decline of the major islands of the archipelago except in insect pollinators resulting from human Hawai‘i and Kaua‘i (there is some evidence activity (Beismeijer et al. 2006). Endemic that it was once present on Kaua‘i) (Stephens plant species on islands are especially vulner- 1964). Many populations of this species have able because of population reduction and disappeared due to coastal development. An fragmentation that may no longer support additional concern for G. tomentosum is that their pollinators and because of the impact Hawai‘i is commonly used as a nursery for of introduced pollinators on native pollinator the improvement of commercial cotton, with species (Cox and Elmqvist 2000). Gossypium which G. tomentosum is fully interfertile tomentosum Nuttall ex Seeman (Malvaceae), (Meyer and Meyer 1961; J.F.W., pers. obs.). locally referred to as ma‘o, is a cotton species Commercial cotton consists primarily of Up- endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It histori- land cotton (G. hirsutum) and to a lesser cally has been relatively common in well- extent Pima cotton (G. barbadense). The ma- jority of the cotton raised in nurseries is 1 The Environmental Protection Agency provided fi- transgenic G. hirsutum (Bt cotton and nancial support for this research. Manuscript accepted 29 Roundup-Ready cotton). Cross-pollination January 2009. 2 Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal of G. tomentosum with commercial cotton Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011. could compromise the genetic integrity of 3 Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]). the species, and the introgression of trans- genes might alter intra- and interspecific competitive relationships, confer an advan- Pacific Science (2010), vol. 64, no. 1:45–55 doi: 10.2984/64.1.045 tage that could lead to new weedy species, or : 2010 by University of Hawai‘i Press in some other way alter evolutionary trajecto- All rights reserved ries (Ellstrand et al. 1999). 45 . 46 PACIFIC SCIENCE January 2010 There have been no studies documenting tion consisted of at least several hundred the pollinators of G. tomentosum. Swezey plants. The O‘ahu population, referred to as (1935), in a survey of insects associated with Sandy Beach, is located on the southeastern G. tomentosum, collected two species of mega- corner of the island near Makapu‘u Point. chilid bees (nonnative species) from flowers. The population is east of Waikı¯kı¯ along Kala- Stephens (1964) never saw any visitors to G. niana‘ole Highway past Sandy Beach Park tomentosum flowers. He did observe honey- and the golf course entrance. It is south of bees and carpenter bees in the vicinity of the road near mile marker 9 where the road some G. tomentosum populations, but those begins to bend to the north and just before bees were visiting other plant species. He the pulloff to the trail to Makapu‘u Point. speculated, however, that infrequent visits by The Maui population is located on the south- honeybees might have been responsible for western side of the western lobe of Maui. It is producing two hybrid populations between near the 14-mile mark on the Lahaina road G. barbadense and G. tomentosum he observed (no. 30) near Olowalu and across the road on O‘ahu. Fryxell (1979) speculated that the from Camp Pecusa. The population is in the native pollinator might be a moth, based on hills to the north of the road. On Kaho‘olawe the following reasoning. First, he assumed we examined scattered populations on the that there must be a native pollinator because southwestern corner of the island in the vi- the fact that the style was exerted meant that cinity of Lae o Kealaikahiki. no self-pollination could occur and therefore In mid-January 2003 we visited the Sandy a pollinator would be needed for seed set and Beach, Maui, and Kaho‘olawe populations. At the persistence of the species. Second, he that time the flowering season was just begin- noted the absence of a dark spot at the base ning. In May 2004 we revisited the Sandy of the petals of G. tomentosum flowers; this Beach and Maui populations. At that time spot is found in almost all other members of both populations had abundant flowering.