Pollination Strategies and Reproductive Biology of Fritillaria imperialis L. (Liliaceae): Insights from Erzincan, Türkiye

Abstract

Fritillaria spp., comprising perennial bulbous plants of significant medicinal and ornamental value, face high endangerment in their natural habitats. Despite their importance, the reproductive characteristics and adaptive evolution mechanisms of these species remain incompletely understood. This study focused on the pollination strategies and reproductive biology of Fritillaria imperialis L. The research was conducted at the Erzincan Horticultural Research Institute in Türkiye. Our investigation categorized the flowering process of F. imperialis into nine distinct phases. Through comprehensive assessments of the pollen/ovule ratio, self-incompatibility index (SII), and ex situ pollination experiments, we observed high levels of self-incompatibility and allogamy in F. imperialis. Our findings revealed that pollination of F. imperialis primarily relied on pollen vectors, with Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris identified as the most effective pollinators. Furthermore, average seed set rate, seed production, and seed viability were quantified at 80.5%, 228 seeds, and 86.3%, respectively. The average numbers of pollen viability and pollen grains were measured at 93% and 702,000, respectively. This comprehensive analysis of the reproductive biology of F. imperialis provides crucial insights for the conservation and genetic management of this highly valuable species. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the reproductive strategies employed by Fritillaria spp., which may inform future conservation efforts and breeding programs for these endangered plants.