Adaptation in a plant-hummingbird association. (1/12)

Sexual dimorphism in bill morphology and body size of the Caribbean purple-throated carib hummingbird is associated with a reversal in floral dimorphism of its Heliconia food plants. This hummingbird is the sole pollinator of H. caribaea and H. bihai, with flowers of the former corresponding to the short, straight bills of males, the larger sex, and flowers of the latter corresponding to the long, curved bills of females. On St. Lucia, H. bihai compensates for the rarity of H. caribaea by evolving a second color morph with flowers that match the bills of males, whereas on Dominica, H. caribaea evolves a second color morph with flowers that match the bills of females. The nectar rewards of all Heliconia morphs are consistent with each sex's choice of the morph that corresponds to its bill morphology and energy requirements, supporting the hypothesis that feeding preferences have driven their coadaptation.  (+info)

Candida heliconiae sp. nov., Candida picinguabensis sp. nov. and Candida saopaulonensis sp. nov., three ascomycetous yeasts from Heliconia velloziana (Heliconiaceae). (2/12)

Strains belonging to three novel yeast species, Candida heliconiae (four isolates), Candida picinguabensis (three isolates) and Candida saopaulonensis (two isolates), were recovered in the year 2000 from water of flower bracts of Heliconia velloziana L. Emigd. (Heliconiaceae) found in a forest ecosystem site in an Atlantic rainforest of south-eastern Brazil. C. picinguabensis and C. saopaulonensis were nearly identical in morphology and physiology, but sequence divergence in the D1/D2 domain of the large-subunit rDNA indicated that they should be regarded as different species. They belong to the Metschnikowiaceae clade. C. heliconiae had affinities to Pichia mexicana and related species, but was genetically isolated from all currently accepted species in that group. The type strains are C. heliconiae UNESP 00-91C1T (=CBS 10000T=NRRL Y-27813T), C. picinguabensis UNESP 00-89T (=CBS 9999T=NRRL Y-27814T) and C. saopaulonensis UNESP 00-99T (=CBS 10001T=NRRL Y-27815T).  (+info)

The effect of hummingbird flower mites on nectar availability of two sympatric Heliconia species in a Brazilian Atlantic forest. (3/12)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hummingbird flower mites feed and reproduce in flowers of host plants pollinated by hummingbirds, and use the nostrils and bill of the hummingbird to move from plant to plant. These mites compete with the pollinator for the nectar produced by flowers. An investigation was made of the relationship between the pattern of nectar production and the effects of hummingbird flower mites in the flowers of two sympatric species of Heliconia (Heliconiaceae). METHODS: Nectar production was sampled by carrying out two experiments: 2-hour intervals and accumulated nectar. Flowers with and without mites were used in both experiments. KEY RESULTS: Exclusion of mites increased nectar production, especially in accumulated daily production (a maximum of 49 % more nectar). Both Heliconia species had the same pattern of nectar production: a high concentration in the morning, which was progressively reduced as the day passed. This pattern of nectar production coincides with the behaviour of the pollinator, which makes more frequent visits in the morning, as observed in a previous study. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the impact of mites on nectar availability of Heliconia is more important with regard to total volume of nectar produced irrespective of flower longevity. A high variation among individuals in nectar produced in the populations was also observed. Hummingbird flower mites strongly affect availability of nectar for hummingbirds.  (+info)

Candida flosculorum sp. nov. and Candida floris sp. nov., two yeast species associated with tropical flowers. (4/12)

Two ascomycetous yeast species, Candida flosculorum sp. nov. and Candida floris sp. nov., were isolated from tropical flowers and their associated insects. C. flosculorum was isolated from flower bracts of Heliconia velloziana and Heliconia episcopalis (Heliconiaceae) collected from two Atlantic rain forest sites in Brazil. C. floris was isolated from flowers of Ipomoea sp. (Convolvulaceae) growing on the banks of the river Paraguai in the pantanal ecosystem in Brazil and from an adult of the stingless bee Trigona sp. and a flower of Merremia quinquefolia (Convolvulaceae) in Costa Rica. C. flosculorum belongs to the Metschnikowiaceae clade and C. floris belongs to the Starmerella clade. The type strain of C. flosculorum is UFMG-JL13(T) (=CBS 10566(T)=NRRL Y-48258(T)) and the type strain of C. floris is UWO(PS) 00-226.2(T) (=CBS 10593(T)=NRRL Y-48255(T)).  (+info)

Mate choice and mate competition by a tropical hummingbird at a floral resource. (5/12)

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Genetic relationships among Heliconia (Heliconiaceae) species based on RAPD markers. (6/12)

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Wickerhamiella pagnoccae sp. nov. and Candida tocantinsensis sp. nov., two ascomycetous yeasts from flower bracts of Heliconia psittacorum (Heliconiaceae). (7/12)

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Changes in expression pattern of the teosinte branched1-like genes in the Zingiberales provide a mechanism for evolutionary shifts in symmetry across the order. (8/12)

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