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Annals of Botany 74: 125-135, 1994
© 1994 Annals of Botany Company

Pollination Ecophysiology of Mercurialis annua L. (Euphorbiaceae), an Anemophilous Species Flowering all Year Round

Marcello Lisci, Caterina Tanda and Ettore Pacini

Botany Section, Department of Environmental Biology, University of Siena, Via P. A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena and Department of Plant Biology, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy

Mercurialis annua L. is a dioecious anemophilous species that flowers all year round in central and southern Italy. The flowers of both sexes are dimorphic: the female flower has a vestigial calyx; the male flower consists only of a calyx that opens at anthesis. The anthers always dehisce after anthesis. The anthesis of male flowers seems to be temperature dependent, whereas anther dehiscence is related to relative humidity. The pollen grains vary in volume according to the season: they are smaller when relative humidity is low and vice versa. They always decrease in volume after anther dehiscence and have the capacity to vary in volume and reach equilibrium with a changing environment. Viability is high, but may drop suddenly during heavy rain or hail that damage the exposed male flowers. The number of pollen grains per stigma varies from 0 to 300. The data is discussed in relation to the type of pollination and environmental characteristics.Copyright 1994, 1999 Academic Press

Mercurialis annua, dioecism, anthesis, anther dehiscence, pollen volume, pollen viability, anemophilous pollination, pollination ecology


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