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In situ observations of the basal angiosperm Amborella trichopoda reveal a long fruiting cycle overlapping two annual flowering periods

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Abstract

Amborella trichopoda is the sole living angiosperm species belonging to the sister lineage of all other extant flowering plants. In the last decade, the species has been the focus of many phylogenetic, genomic and reproductive biology studies, bringing new highlights regarding the evolution of flowering plants. However, little attention has been paid to in situ A. trichopoda populations, particularly to their fruiting cycle. In this study, an A. trichopoda population was observed during three annual flowering cycles. Individuals and branches were labeled in order to monitor the fruiting cycle precisely, from the flowering stage until the abscission of the fruit. Fruit exocarp was green during the first 9 months following flowering, turned red when the next flowering started a year later then remained on the branch during another year, between fruit ripping and abscission. Presence of fruits with two stages of maturity on shrubs was always noticed. Germination tests showed that seeds acquired their germination capacity 1 year after flowering, when fruits changed color. A. trichopoda’s fruiting cycle is a long process overlapping two annual flowering periods. These results introduce a new model for flowering and fruiting cycles. The availability of mature seeds on shrubs for more than 1 year is likely to maximize opportunities to be dispersed, thus promoting the survival of this basal angiosperm.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Josianne Patissou (IRD) for technical help on the field and Gildas Gâtéblé from Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien (IAC) for hosting germination tests in the IAC greenhouses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR DIADE, 101 Promenade Roger Laroque Anse Vata, BPA5, 98848, Nouméa, New Caledonia

    Fanny Fourcade & Philippe Marmey

  2. IRD, UMR AMAP, Laboratoire de Botanique et d’Ecologie Végétale Appliquées, Conservatoire des Espaces Naturels, Presqu’île de Foué, 98 860, Koné, New Caledonia

    Robin Pouteau

  3. IRD, UMR AMAP, Laboratoire de Botanique et d’Ecologie Végétale Appliquées, Herbarium NOU, Nouméa, New Caledonia

    Tanguy Jaffré

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  1. Fanny Fourcade
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Correspondence to Philippe Marmey.

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Fourcade, F., Pouteau, R., Jaffré, T. et al. In situ observations of the basal angiosperm Amborella trichopoda reveal a long fruiting cycle overlapping two annual flowering periods. J Plant Res 128, 821–828 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-015-0744-5

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