Floral Phenology of Jaltomata grandiflora
Mexico
updated 2009  
Link to Jaltomata homepage 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, Connecticut 06050-4010, United States of America.
Link to Jaltomata of Mexico and Central America
Nectar Clear (translucent), collects where androecium and corolla meet, both during pistillate and hermaphroditic phases
Herkogamy? Stamens and stigma are a few mm apart during hermaphroditic phase
Protogyny Yes, anthers remain closed the first day the flower is open
How long does it take from flower to ripe fruit? Tagged flower open on 2 August became a ripe fruit 9 September 2009
Self-Compatible? Yes. A single plant grown in 2009 set fruit containing normal seeds

Floral Phenology Shown In Photos

Day 1. Pistillate Phase. Anthers undehisced and filaments are so short that we can't see them in this photo. Nectar is produced Day 2. Flower hermaphroditic,
filaments have elongated
compared to day 1. 		Day 2, 6 pm. Corolla (with
stamens attached inside of it)
has released from calyx/gynoecium 		Day 2, 6:30 pm. Self-pollination is apparently caused by the detaching of the corolla with the anthers inside of the corolla touching stigma as corolla drops. Now corolla has completely dropped, so the calyx/gynoecium is showing, and pollen can be seen on right edge of stigma.

Floral Phenoly:
2009
Time
  
Observations on Two Tagged Flowers, Potted Plant
no bagging to exclude insect visitors, no visiting insects were seen during any of these observations
 Day 1,
23 July
9 am, 3 pm
pistillate Anthers undehsiced and filaments very short, cor open. Flower color similar to leaves (unaided eye). Cor was closed yesterday. See first photo in sequence immediately above.
4 pm Cloudy, windy, cool conditions seem to have triggered the closure of the cor. Anthers remain undehisced.
Day 2,
24 July		 7:40 am hermaphroditic one to two of the five anthers dehisced, filaments have already elongated but not fully
8:20 am cor has become planar/rotate. 4/5 anthers have dehisced on flower (a) and 2/5 on (b).
8:50 am 5/5 anthers have dehisced on flower (a), 4/5 on flower (b)
2 pm cor planar/rotate. All anthers dehisced. Nectar evident and photographed (top right photo of this web page).
4 pm cor infundibular because closing
6 pm flowers no longer functional cor/androecium unit dropped (3rd photo in sequence above)
Day 3,
25 July		 all morning and afternoon flowers no longer functional pollen can be seen on the stigma of flower (a); cor of flower (b) is closed, still attached
Summary Corolla was open for two days. The first day: pistillate phase (filaments short, anthers closed). The second day: hermaphroditic phase, rapid filament elongation in morning while anthers dehisced. Delayed self-pollination most likely with self-pollination apparently caused by the detaching of the corolla with the anthers inside of the corolla touching stigma as corolla drops.
Four other flowers were studied (previous years) and all showed the same pattern of a pistillate day followed by a hermaphroditic day.


Date (2009)
Time
Observations on Tagged Flower _, Potted Plant
no bagging to exclude insect visitors, no visiting insects were seen during any of these observations
     
     

Date (2009)
Time
Observations on Tagged Flower _, Potted Plant
no bagging to exclude insect visitors, no visiting insects were seen during any of these observations