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Image Title: Tacca chantrieri in the shady understory of a tropical forest
Image Credit: Qing-Jun Li, The Chinese Academy of Sciences
Intended End User: Teacher, Student
License Details: BSA - Terms for Image Use
Copyright held by: Qing-Jun Li, BSA
Date Created: 3/1/2005
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About the Image

Tacca chantrieri in the shady understory of a tropical forest in Yunnan Province, China. The striking floral display involves dark-purple pigmented flowers and bracts, and extended whisker-like bracteoles. In Tacca, these traits have been assumed to function as a deceit syndrome in which reproductive structures resemble decaying organic material attracting flies that facilitate cross-pollination (sapromyiophily). However, experimental studies of the pollination and mating biology of T. chantrieri in China cast doubt on this hypothesis by demonstrating that most seed produced in populations is the result of autonomous self-pollination.

Link to the AJB Abstract for the article:

Predicting mating patterns from pollination syndromes: the case of "sapromyiophily" in Tacca chantrieri (Taccaceae)

National Science Foundation  Development Supported by the National Science Foundation