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Reproductive isolation between diploid and tetraploid cytotypes of Libidibia ferrea (= Caesalpinia ferrea) (Leguminosae): ecological and taxonomic implications

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Abstract

Polyploidy is the most common chromosomal mechanism involved in the evolution of plants. However, the emergence of polyploid individuals does not guarantee the establishment of a new lineage, and the relationship between polyploidy and reproductive biology is therefore relevant. Libidibia ferrea is a legume tree that has diploid and tetraploid populations. In this work we analyse the reproductive biology of the species to verify the degree of reproductive isolation between the two cytotypes. Observations on phenology, floral morphology, biology, and visitors, breeding system, reproductive success and reproductive isolation were made for both cytotypes in two municipalities of northeastern Brazil. Cytotypes differed for all morphometric parameters analysed, with tetraploids exhibiting higher mean values than diploids. Both cytotypes had the same effective pollinators (native bees from the genera Centris and Xylocopa, and the introduced Apis mellifera). However, since stamens of diploids and tetraploids were of different size, it is possible that spatial separation occurs when pollen of each cytotype is deposited on a bee’s body. Diploids were self-incompatible (ISI = 0) and exhibited high fruit-set after intraploidy crossing (20 %), whereas tetraploids were self-compatible (ISI = 0.47) and set only 3.9 % of fruits after intraploidy crossing. Both cytotypes showed low fruit- and seed-set under natural conditions, and there was no fruit-set after crosses between them. Data are discussed in relation to the establishment of polyploids, to the pattern of distribution of the species and to the taxonomic implications. The cytotypes of L. ferrea should be considered as distinct species, since they are reproductively isolated from each other.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mrs. Dodôri, Mr. Antônio and Mr. Edisío for permission to develop the study on their properties; G. Jones, K. Demétrio and S. Soares for help in field work; E. Ribeiro and R. Pires for help in laboratory analyses; D. Coelho for identifying the bees; M. Meiado for help with statistical analyses. Financial support was provided by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Capes (PhD Fellowship to L. Souza) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico-CNPq [PhD Fellowship to L. Borges, Research Grant to I. Machado, M. Guerra and A. Lopes, and financial support (CNPq grant no. 567739/2008-2) to A. Lopes].

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Author notes

  1. Laís Angélica Borges

    Present address: Unidade Acadêmica de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Pombal, PB, 58840-000, Brazil

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 50372-970, Brazil

    Laís Angélica Borges & Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues Souza

  2. Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 50372-970, Brazil

    Marcelo Guerra, Isabel Cristina Machado & Ariadna Valentina Lopes

  3. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, UK

    Gwilym P. Lewis

Authors
  1. Laís Angélica Borges
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  2. Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues Souza
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  3. Marcelo Guerra
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  4. Isabel Cristina Machado
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  5. Gwilym P. Lewis
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  6. Ariadna Valentina Lopes
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Correspondence to Ariadna Valentina Lopes.

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Borges, L.A., Souza, L.G.R., Guerra, M. et al. Reproductive isolation between diploid and tetraploid cytotypes of Libidibia ferrea (= Caesalpinia ferrea) (Leguminosae): ecological and taxonomic implications. Plant Syst Evol 298, 1371–1381 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-012-0643-3

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