Floral phenology of Jaltomata darcyana
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The information on this page may be cited as a communication with professor Thomas Mione, Central Connecticut State University, Biology Department, Copernicus Hall, 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT 06050-4010

Methods:
Seeds from the type locality were planted on 1 April 2009, and plants were grow indoors until June 2009.
Plants one through four were grown in the ground (not in pots) at Mione's residence, and plant number five remained in a pot all summer. Plants six and seven were grown in the ground (not in pots) in the garden next to Copernicus Hall.
In 2009 one plant was grown at another location in New Britain, spatially isolated from others to test for self-compatibility (abundant fruit set on a spatially isolated plant would indicate self-compatibility).
For floral phenology, flowers were tagged when the looked like they would open the next day.

Results:
Both cleistogamous and chasmogamous flowers are produced at the same time. For example, on a day that chasmogamous flowers are observed (fully open), flowers that dropped their corolla (having never been open) were also observed.

Self-pollination in the bud happens. Pollen gets on the stigma inside of corollas that have never been open!

Date (2009)
Time
Tagged Flower 1, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
24 Aug 6:20 am, 7:30 am, 8:30 am Corolla closed, never been open
  1:00 pm Corolla open! Corolla very nearly rotate. Filaments roughly parallel to style. Anthers fully dehisced.
  5:00 pm Corolla closed and still attached
  9:15 pm Corolla/androecium dropped completely off
25 Aug 7:00 am same as last night but now I am noticing that the calyx is closed around the ovary and style, and I can't be sure if there is or isn't pollen on the stigma given the amount of light
 
Summary
No protogyny (no pistillate phase). Flower lasted one day. Flower chasmogamous. No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009)
Time
Tagged Flower 2, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
24 Aug 6:20 am, 7:30 am Corolla closed, never been open
  8:30 am, 1:00 pm Corolla open! Cor very nearly rotate. Filaments roughly parallel to style to angling out from style 10 degrees. Anthers fully dehisced.
  5:00 pm Corolla closed and still attached
  9:15 pm Corolla/androecium detached and dropped completely off
25 Aug 7:00 am same as last night but now I am noticing that the calyx is close around the ovary and style (protecting the ovary?), and I can't be sure if there is or isn't pollen on the stigma given the amount of light
 
Summary
no protogyny (no pistillate phase). Flower lasted one day. Flower chasmogamous. No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009)
Time
Tagged Flower 3, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
27 Aug 6:15 pm, 7:30 pm, 10:00 pm Corolla closed, never been open, corolla possibly elongating (becoming longer without opening!)
28 Aug 7:00 am Corolla/androecium detached and dropped off before I arrived. Pollen on stigma (14X hand lens)!
 
Summary
Corolla (with stamens attached) fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium dropped. Flower apparently cleistogamous! No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009)
Time
Tagged Flower 4, Plant 2, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
27 Aug 6:15 pm, 7:30 pm, 10:00 pm Corolla closed, never been open, corolla possibly elongating (becoming longer without opening!)
28 Aug 7:00 am Corolla/androecium detached and dropped off before I arrived. Pollen on stigma (14X hand lens)!
 
Summary
Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium dropped. Flower apparently cleistogamous! No pollinators observed visiting flowers, no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009)
Time
Tagged Flower 5, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
27 Aug 10:30 pm Corolla closed, never been open
28 Aug 7:00 am Corolla/androecium dropped off (detached) before I arrived. Pollen on stigma (14X hand lens)!
 
Summary
Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium detached/dropped. Flower apparently cleistogamous! No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009)
Time
Tagged Flower 6, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
27 Aug 10:30 pm Corolla closed, never been open
28 Aug 7:00 am Corolla/androecium dropped off (detached) before I arrived. No pollen on stigma (14X hand lens)!
  Summary Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was NOT observed on the stigma after the corolla-androecium detached/dropped. No pollinators observed visiting flowers, no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009) Time
Tagged Flower 7, Plant ?, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
30 Aug 7:00 pm Closed, Never been open
31 Aug 6:30 am Closed, Never been open
  7:35 am Corolla detached but had not fallen. Petals had not separated from each other. I touched corolla very gently and corolla dropped to the ground. I picked up the corolla that had fallen and broke it open; anthers had dehisced. Pollen was on the stigma, but not much pollen.
  Summary Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium detached/dropped. Flower apparently cleistogamous! No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009) Time
Observations, Tagged Flower 8, Plant 3
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
30 Aug 7 pm, 11 pm Corolla closed, Never been open
31 Aug 6:30 am, 7:35 am, 5 pm, 9:30 pm Corolla closed, Never been open
1Sept 6:30 am Corolla/androecium detached and dropped! I picked up the corolla off of a leaf directly below and petals were still attached to each other & anthers had dehisced. Some but not much pollen on stigma.
  Summary Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium detached/dropped. Flower apparently cleistogamous! No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009) Time
Tagged Flower 9, Plant 2, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
31 Aug 7 pm, 9:30 pm Corolla closed, Never been open
1 Sept 6:30 am, 8 am, 1 pm, 4:20 pm Corolla closed, Never been open
  11:10 pm Corolla/androecium detached but did not drop because a leaf is precenting its fall. Dark out so I can't look for pollen on stigma.
2 Sept 2 pm Pollen on stigma
  Summary Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium detached/dropped. Flower apparently cleistogamous! No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009) Time
Tagged Flower 10, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
31 Aug 7 pm, 9:30 pm Corolla closed, Never Been Open
1 Sept 6:30 am, 8 am , 1 pm, 4:20 pm Corolla closed, Never Been Open
  11:00 pm Corolla-Androecium dropped
2 Sept 2 pm No pollen on stigma
  summary Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was NOT observed on the stigma after the corolla-androecium detached/dropped. No pollinators observed visiting flowers, no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009) Time
Tagged Flower 11, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
2 Sept 9:30 pm, 11:30 pm Corolla closed, Never Been Open
3 Sept 6:25 am, 10:30 am Corolla closed, Never Been Open. Corolla wider than high = flat topped.
  5:00 pm, 10:00 pm Corolla closed, Never Been Open
4 Sept 7:00 am Corolla-Androecium dropped/fell off (without having ever been open). Pollen was observed on stigma. Flower apparently cleistogamous! No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.
  Summary Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium detached/dropped. Flower apparently cleistogamous! No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009) Time
Tagged Flower 12, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
2 Sept 5:30 pm, 9:30 pm, 11:30 pm Flower closed, Never Been Open
3 Sept 6:25 am Flower closed, Never Been Open
  10:30 am Flower closed, Never Been Open. Corolla (not open) about as wide as high
  5:00 pm Flower closed, Never Been Open
  10:00 pm Flower closed, Never Been Open. Corolla (not open) longer than wide
4 Sept 7:00 am Corolla-androecium had dropped / fell off
  Noon No pollen on stigma
  Summary: Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was NOT observed on the stigma after the corolla-androecium detached/dropped. No pollinators observed visiting flowers, no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009) Time
Tagged Flower 13, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
2 Sept 5:30 pm, 9:30 pm, 11:30 pm Flower closed, Never Been Open
3 Sept 6:25 am Corolla-androecium had already dropped. I found a corolla on the ground directly under. Inspection of this corolla revealed that the petals had never separated & anthers had dehisced.
  10:30 am Pollen on stigma (now there is enough ligh for me to check). No pollinators visiting any of these four plants. Bees are visiting colorful ornamentals nearby but not Jaltomata darcyana.
  Summary Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium detached/dropped. Flower apparently cleistogamous! No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009) Time
Tagged Flower 14, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
2 Sept 5:30 pm, 9:30 pm, 11:30 pm Flower closed, Never Been Open
3 Sept 6:25 am Flower closed, Never Been Open
  10:30 am Flower closed, Never Been Open. Corolla wider than high = flat-toppped
  5:00 pm Flower closed, Never Been Open
  10:00 pm I touched the corolla very gently and it dropped off (petals attached to each other). No pollen on stigma after corolla-androecium dropped away.
  Summary Omit this flower from any averages because T.M. caused the corolla-androecium to drop. Had the corolla-androecium been given more time, it may have (as it gradually detached and possibly as it was hit by wind or another disturbance while detaching) self-pollinated

Date (2009) Time
Observations, Tagged Flower 15, Plant 5
indoor plant at sunny window - no insects indoors so no bagging to exclude insect visitors
7 Sept 5:40pm, 9 pm, 10pm Flower closed, Never Been Open
8 Sept 7 am, 2:40 pm, 7:40 pm, 11 pm Flower closed, Never Been Open
9 Sept 12:45 am Flower closed, Never Been Open
7 am, 5 pm Flower closed, never been open. Corolla longer than wide
9:30 pm Corolla looks like it might be withering in place
10 Sept 6:40 am, 1:45 pm, 4:20 pm Corolla withering in place
11 & 12 Sept 1:00 pm Corolla withering in place
23 Sept 7:30 am ovary not expanding into a fruit

Date (2009) Time

Observations, Tagged Flower 16, Plant 3
outdoor healthy plant rooted in the earth
photos taken show method of bagging to exclude insects from flowers

9 Sept 6 pm, 11 pm Flower closed, Never Been Open
10 Sept 6:40 am, 1:40pm, 4:20 pm, 10:30 pm Flower closed, Never Been Open. Corolla longer than wide & round at distal end.
11 Sept 7 am Corolla dropped, then pollinator exclusing bag removed. With a 14X hand lens I could see pollen on edge of stigma.
Summary Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium detached/dropped. Flower cleistogamous!

Date (2009) Time
Tagged Flower 17, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
9 Sept 6 pm, 11 pm Flower closed, Never Been Open
10 Sept 6:40 am Corolla had dropped. Pollen on stigma!
Summary Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium detached/dropped. Flower apparently cleistogamous! No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.

Date (2009) Time
Observations, Tagged Flower 18, Plant 3
outdoor healthy plant rooted in the earth
photos taken show method of bagging to exclude insects from flowers
9 Sept 6 pm, 11 pm Flower closed, never been open.
10 Sept 6:40 am, 1:40 pm, 4:30pm, 10:30 pm Flower closed, never been open.
11 Sept 7 am Flower closed, never been open.
1:00 pm Corolla dropped, then pollinator exclusing bag removed. With a 14X hand lens I could see pollen on stigma.
Summary Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium detached/dropped. Flower cleistogamous!

Date (2009) Time
Tagged Flower 19, Plant 3, Observations
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
10 Sept 4:30 pm, 10:30 pm Flower closed, never been open.
11 Sept 7 am, 1 pm Corolla had dropped. Pollen on stigma.
Summary Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Pollen was observed on the stigma after the corolla/androecium detached/dropped. Flower apparently cleistogamous! No pollinators observed visiting flowers; no insects on plants at all.

 

Date Time
Two Untagged Flowers, Observations In garden at Mione's residence
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
9 Sept 2009 6 pm One open (chasmogamous) flower, and one flower with the corolla (unopenned) falling off the flower were noticed on the same plant at the same time
Thought
Cleistogamy is apparently not environmentally induced in this species

Date Time
Two Untagged Flowers, Observations In garden at Mione's residence
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
10 Sept 2009 1:40 pm One open (chasmogamous) flower, and one flower with the corolla (unopenned) falling off the flower were noticed on the same plant at the same time
Thought
Cleistogamy is apparently not environmentally induced in this species

Date Time
Untagged Flowers, Observations In garden at Mione's residence
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
11 Sept 2009 1:00 pm Three chasmogamous flowers wide open on plant 3 (outdoors rooted in ground, healthy). This is the same day (11 Sept) that the corolla of tagged flower 18 dropped without having been open.
Thought
Cleistogamy is apparently not environmentally induced in this species

Date Time
Untagged Flowers, Observations In garden at Mione's residence
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
12 Sept 2009 1:30 pm Chasmogamous flowers wide open on plant 3 (outdoors rooted in ground, healthy). At the same time I saw other flowers losing corollas that had never been open, but did not check for pollen on the stigmas of these.
Thought
Cleistogamy is apparently not environmentally induced in this species

Date Time
Untagged Flowers, Observations In garden at Mione's residence
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
16 Sept 2009 not recorded chasmogamous flowers seen on outdoor plants 2, 3 and 4
     

Date Time
Untagged Flowers, Observations In garden next to Copernicus Hall (plants 6 and 7)
no bagging to exclude insect visitors
23 Sept 2009 1 pm Numerous open (chasmogamous) flowers on the larger of the two plants. Also, one corolla that had never openned had recently dropped, and I found it on a leaf of the smaller of the two plants, meaning a flower had within the last 24 hours lost a corolla that had never been open. Inside this corolla the anthers had dehisced.
Thought
Cleistogamy is apparently not environmentally induced in this species



Date (2003) Time
Phenology Observations (one flower)
10, 11, 12 Sept Corolla has never been open, still closed. Same as yesterday, corolla not yet open. Same as yesterday, corolla not yet open.
13 Sept Corolla dropping off having never opened (photographed).
14 Sept Corolla dropped. I found it on a leaf immediately below the tagged flower. I carefully pulled it apart and found that it had never openned and all anthers dehisced.
18, 23 Sept Ovary expanding / fruit developing
Summary
Corolla fell off without having ever been open. Flower apparently cleistogamous!

Date (2003) Time
Phenoogy Observations (one flower)
18 Sept Flower was tagged when it had never been open
19 Sept Corolla open, all anthers have dehisced
Summary
Chasmogamous flower

 

Date (2000) Time
Phenology Observations
my notes give no indication that I bagged to exclude pollinators, so I am 99% sure I did not
23 Oct 7 am, 8:30 am, noon, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm Flower closed, Never Been Open
24 Oct 6:20 am, 1:30 pm Corolla open & anthers dehisced. Filaments have reached full length. Style curved
25 Oct 7 am I wrote in my notes "flower finished" and did not record presence/absence of pollen on stigma.
Summary No protogyny. Flower lasted (was open for) one day.