Role Of Corolla Closure In Delayed Self-Pollination Of
Kosteletzkya Virginica (Malvaceae)
 

Cheng-Jiang Ruan
Institute of Bio-Resources and Environment, Dalian Nationalities University,
Dalian City, Liaoning 116600, (CHINA)

Corollas of Kosteletzkya virginica are close intraday post-anthesis, and autofertility is often high for un-pollinated flowers that stigmas do not contact with its own anthers at the end of the anthesis day (refereed to as type II). The possibility that corolla closure causes self-pollination in the absence of pollinators was examined. The results indicated that the role of corolla closing plays in achieving self-pollination of type II flowers, the fruit sets of type II flowers from un-eliminated and eliminated corollas were close to 69.72  1.62 % and 1.68  0.36 %. Corolla closure, in the absence of pollinators, is a mechanism of delayed self-fertilization in this species.