这是我找的。。跟原文不一样,但也有原文的意思。也有印度科学家什么的。。可以参考一下
Pollination study comes up with new insightsDipannita Das, TNN, Nov 5, 2010, 01.43am IST
PUNE: Did you know that inflorescence can deceive its pollinators (beetles and bees) by mimicking an egg-laying site through a nauseating gaseous stench. With this deception, the plants achieve pollination without actually providing any reward to the insects.
This observation was made in Amorphophallus species
(tuberous herbaceous plants), commonly known as corpse flower or elephant foot yam belonging to the Arum family in the northern parts of the Western Ghats and Konkan region, by scientists Sachin A Punekar and K P N Kumaran
of the Agharkar Research Institute here. This work is a kind of first from the Indian subcontinent addressing the pollen morphology and pollination ecology of these species.
Another aspect found in a large number of these species is the process of heating. The spadix (a type of inflorescence) produces 30-45 degree Celsius heat during at least the first night, when flowers become susceptible and pollinators are attracted to it.
The research paper was published this year in Elsevier research journal Flora Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants
and has been recently cited under the top 25 hottest articles under the environmental science theme.The present study, using scanning electron microscope, delves adequately on this topic. It can be utilised as an important tool to distinguish taxa (group of organism) and also to resolve taxonomic problems, Punekar said.
The inflorescence form and shape plays a significant role in attracting insects. Amorphophallus have a very strong and obnoxious odour. The odour of each species has a characteristic chemical composition, Punekar said. In many species, the odour is a nauseating gaseous stench. This odour attracts pollinator insects that breed or feed on dung, decaying matter or fungi. This also results in pollinators meeting their sexual partners and completing their reproductive cycle, he said.
The study observes five phases of insect trapping in Amorphophallus species, which facilitate pollination.
The initial phase of attracting beetles from a distance is possibly based on a visual trap resulting from the inflorescence size and form and the frequency of the plant in a particular area. In the second phase, beetles get attracted from a distance by the odour trap, where the appendix emits a stench. In the third phase, most of the insects fall to the bottom of the spathe via a slippery trap provided by the wet appendix.
During the fourth phase of pollination, the insects, attracted by a food trap, crawl over the pistillate zoneand staminate zone. Here, the visual attraction act as baits.
In the last phase, the trapped insects get shelter from light inside the kettle and meet sexual partners, achieving copulation and sometimes lay their eggs.
-- by 会员 CC1990 (2011/6/5 16:11:27)