Effect of Morphs on Reproductive Biology of ⁢Epimedium pubescens ⁢(Berberidaceae): A Species Endemic to China

Differences in floral morphologies can strongly affect pollination behavior and efficient propagation. In this paper, the population of Epimedium pubescens, a species endemic to China, was observed to reveal its floral morphs effect on reproduction. In E. pubescens, three different floral morphs were known: (i) Styles of 25.33% flowers grew longer than stamens (LS). (ii) Pistil equal to or shorter than stamens was also observed in 7.33% flowers (HS). (iii) Styles of 67.33% flowers grew shorter than stamens, these styles grew abaxially away from stamens or stamens of those flowers would spread out for about half hour to depart from style (CS). The quantitative characters of in leaf number, leaf length, sepal length and width, filament length, style length, pollen number, P/O ratio, the length and width of inner sepal and the length of filament and style were significant differences in three floral morphs. This may be due to the differences in environmental factors, especial the relative humidity. The fruit set and seed set were no significantly different in three floral morphs, but the fruit set and seed set of HS are relatively lower than other two morphs. This may be related to pollinator visiting behavior, pollinators of HS were easily to contact with mixed pollen. The results suggested that floral morphs and pollinator behavior could effect on reproductive biology of E. pubescens. (C) 2018 Friends Science Publishers