POLLINATION DECREASES LONGEVITY OF THE PROTOGYNOUS FLOWERS OF Jaltomata sinuosa (Solanaceae)

Flowers of Jaltomata sinuosa are protogynous with anthers dehiscing a day after the corolla opens. Handpollination of flowers grown in greenhouses from field-collected (South America) seeds significantly decreases their longevity: unpollinated flowers and flowers pollinated the morning they opened lasted 4.5 and 3.6 days, respectively, when anthers were not removed, and 3.6 and 2.4 days, respectively, when all flowers were emasculated prior to anther dehiscence. Unmanipulated flowers of J. sinuosa set fruit abundantly in a pollinatorfree greenhouse, demonstrating autogamy and self-compatibility. At the end of the corolla’s life, abscission of the closed corolla (stamens are adnate to the corolla) brushes pollen onto the stigma as the corolla-androecium drops, self-pollinating flowers. Mean nectar sugar concentration was 52% with volume ranging from 0.65 to 8.5 μl (mean 2.9 μl per flower) measured once in each hermaphroditic-phase flower.