Dataset Information

Precipitation contributes to plant height, but not reproductive effort, for western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara Sheviak & Bowles): Evidence from herbarium records.

ABSTRACT: The western fringed prairie orchid (WFPO) is a rare plant found in mesic to wet tallgrass prairies in the Great Plains and Midwest regions of the United States. The size of WFPO populations varies considerably from year to year, and studies have suggested that population size is dependent on precipitation during critical periods in the plant's annual development. We hypothesized that plant height and reproductive effort would also be controlled by precipitation, either during these periods or over a broader period. We acquired available images of WFPO from 21 herbaria, and of these 141 individual plants had information adequate for analysis, although some population/year combinations were represented multiple times. For each specimen, we measured plant height (cm) and reproductive effort (as measured by total flower and bud count). We used bootstrapped linear regression, randomly selecting one individual from each population/year combination, to compare precipitation models, both during critical periods and the various summaries. We found that precipitation during the phenologically critical periods was a poor predictor of plant height and reproductive effort. Of the broader precipitation variables, accumulated precipitation from January 1 to collection date best described plant height. We also used correlations to detect a relationship among the variables WFPO height, reproductive effort, precipitation, latitude, and year of collection. Year of specimen collection was negatively correlated with WFPO plant height and accumulated precipitation, suggesting that both have declined in more recent years. Negative correlations with latitude also suggest height and precipitation decrease in the northern part of WFPO's range. Reproductive effort was not related to tested precipitation variables; however, it was weakly correlated with plant height. Although the results are limited, this study leverages available data and makes inferences on WFPO biology over broad ranges of time (1894-2012) and latitude (37.5°-49.9°).

SUBMITTER: Biederman LA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7487221 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Precipitation contributes to plant height, but not reproductive effort, for western prairie fringed orchid (<i>Platanthera praeclara</i> Sheviak & Bowles): Evidence from herbarium records.

Biederman Lori A LA Weldon Sydney M SM Anderson Derek S DS Leoschke Mark J MJ

Ecology and evolution 20200809 17

The western fringed prairie orchid (WFPO) is a rare plant found in mesic to wet tallgrass prairies in the Great Plains and Midwest regions of the United States. The size of WFPO populations varies considerably from year to year, and studies have suggested that population size is dependent on precipitation during critical periods in the plant's annual development. We hypothesized that plant height and reproductive effort would also be controlled by precipitation, either during these periods or ov ...[more]

PMID: 32953081

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Project description:AimWe test for spatial and climatic patterns of diversification in the Orchidaceae, an angiosperm family characterized by high levels of species diversity and rarity. Globally, does orchid diversity correlate with land area? In Australia, does diversity correlate with herbarium collecting effort, range size, or climate niche breadth? Where are Australia's orchids distributed spatially, in protected areas, and in climate space?LocationGlobal, then Australia.MethodsWe compared orchid diversity with land area for continents and recognized orchid diversity hotspots. Then, we used cleaned herbarium records to compare collecting effort (for Australian Orchidaceae vs. all other plant families, and also among orchid genera). Spatial and climate distributions were mapped to determine orchids' coverage in the protected area network, range sizes, and niche breadths.ResultsGlobally, orchid diversity does not correlate with land area (depauperate regions are the subantarctic: 10 species, and northern North America: 394 species). Australian herbarium records and collecting effort generally reflect orchid species diversity (1,583 spp.), range sizes, and niche breadths. Orchids are restricted to 13% of Australia's landmass with 211 species absent from any protected areas. Species richness is the greatest in three biomes with high general biodiversity: Temperate (especially southwest and southeast Australia), Tropical, and Subtropical (coastal northern Queensland). Absence from the Desert is consistent with our realized climate niche-orchids avoid high temperature/low rainfall environments. Orchids have narrower range sizes than nonorchid species. Highly diverse orchid genera have narrower rainfall breadths than less diverse genera.Main conclusionsHerbarium data are adequate for testing hypotheses about Australian orchids. Distribution is likely driven by environmental factors. In contrast, diversification did not correlate with increases in range size, rainfall, or temperature breadths, suggesting speciation does not occur via invasion and local adaptation to new habitats. Instead, diversification may rely on access to extensive obligate symbioses with mycorrhizae and/or pollinators.

Project description:Background and Aims. This paper concludes our series of publications comparing island and mainland speciation in European butterfly-orchids, by studying the morphology, phylogenetics and reproductive biology of the controversial circum-arctic species Platanthera (Limnorchis) hyperborea-the most frequent of seven Icelandic orchids. We draw particular attention to its phylogenetic placement, remarkable reproductive biology and morphological convergence on other Platanthera lineages through floral miniaturisation. Methods. Five populations of P. hyperborea in southwest Iceland were measured for 33 morphological characters and subjected to detailed multivariate and univariate analyses, supported by light and scanning electron microscopy of selected flowers. Representative samples from six populations were sequenced for nrITS and placed in a taxonomically broader phylogenetic matrix derived from previous studies. Key Results . Section Limnorchis consists of three distinct ITS-delimited clades based on P. stricta, P. sparsifolia-limosa-aquilonis and P. dilatata-hyperborea. Within the latter group, supposed species boundaries overlap; instead, the data indicate a crude stepwise series of ribotypic transitions extending eastward from North America to Iceland. Morphometric data failed to identify any taxonomically meaningful partitions among Icelandic P. hyperborea populations, despite the presence of a distinct and apparently plesiomorphic ribotype at the most glacially influenced habitat sampled. Microscopic study of the flowers revealed several distinguishing features (some not previously reported), including resupinate lateral sepals, toothed bract margins, club-shaped papillae shared by both the interior of the labellar spur and the stigmatic surface, and an exceptionally adhesive stigma that is reliably covered in disaggregated pollen masses prior to anthesis; auricles are absent. Conclusions. Ribotypes suggest that Icelandic P. hyperborea represents the terminus of a migration route that may have begun in East Asia before passing through North America and presumably Greenland. The incohesive pollinia, rapidly desiccating anther locules, weakly developed rostellum, exceptionally adhesive stigma and the close juxtaposition of compact male and female reproductive organs together conspire to cause routine autogamy and frequent cleistogamy, despite the continued production of substantial nectar reservoirs in the spur and consequent ongoing attraction to the flowers of insects, including mosquitoes. When considered in combination with independently derived lineages of Platanthera on the Azorean and Hawaiian archipelagos also bearing small green flowers, our observations show allometric and paedomorphic reductions in flower size as the primary evolutionary driver, but also indicate strong developmental and functional constraints.

Dataset Information

Precipitation contributes to plant height, but not reproductive effort, for western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara Sheviak & Bowles): Evidence from herbarium records.

Publications

Precipitation contributes to plant height, but not reproductive effort, for western prairie fringed orchid (<i>Platanthera praeclara</i> Sheviak & Bowles): Evidence from herbarium records.

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