Diversity of Life Notes – Plant evolution in action and Evolution of land plants:
Lecture 1 – An introduction to Angiosperm Diversity:
Amborella trichopoda – earliest angiosperm. Simple structure without
properly defined xylem, has tracheids instead.
Grasses-
Magnolia grandiflora – early angiosperm animal relationships, beetle
pollination, food reward for the pollinator
Victoria amazonica – member of water lily family, flower opens and attracts
beetles, beetles gain food reward, a social environment and a thermal
reward, long flowering season, but short life of each flower.
Leucadendron uliginosum – wind and beetle pollination, ancient group of
eudicots, seeds will not germinate unless there is a fire (triggered into
germination by chemicals in smoke).
Gorteria diffusa – mimickery of beetles, beetle pollination, flowers odourless,
rarely offering nectar
Gazania rigida –
Ursinia calenduliflora – beetles see in ultraviolet so can’t see the colours,
head to the darkest place
Helicodericeros muscivorus – fly pollination, eggs laid around mouth of
flower
Amorphophallus rivieri – mimickery,
Hoodia gordonii – milkweed plant, attractive due to smell
Stapelia variegata –
Erica densifolia – narrow flower tubes,
Galanthus nivalis – bee pollination, niche operator as flower very early in the
season
Paeonia peregrine – in cold weather, the petals close to protect pollinators
and delicate sexual structures
Pleione bulbocodioides -
Echium pininana – flowers build up electrostatic field and this can be picked
up by the bee, bee can sense the strength of the field
Oenothera biennis – pollination by vespertine
Strelitzia reginae – bird pollination
Lecture 2 – Adaptations to seasonally dry environments:
New World Cacti:
Echinocactus grusonii: Cactasi is a huge plant family of angiosperms. Apart
from one species, all are found in the Americas. All these habitats have a
period of aridity.
Absence of leaves.
Small surface area to volume ratio.
Lecture 1 – An introduction to Angiosperm Diversity:
Amborella trichopoda – earliest angiosperm. Simple structure without
properly defined xylem, has tracheids instead.
Grasses-
Magnolia grandiflora – early angiosperm animal relationships, beetle
pollination, food reward for the pollinator
Victoria amazonica – member of water lily family, flower opens and attracts
beetles, beetles gain food reward, a social environment and a thermal
reward, long flowering season, but short life of each flower.
Leucadendron uliginosum – wind and beetle pollination, ancient group of
eudicots, seeds will not germinate unless there is a fire (triggered into
germination by chemicals in smoke).
Gorteria diffusa – mimickery of beetles, beetle pollination, flowers odourless,
rarely offering nectar
Gazania rigida –
Ursinia calenduliflora – beetles see in ultraviolet so can’t see the colours,
head to the darkest place
Helicodericeros muscivorus – fly pollination, eggs laid around mouth of
flower
Amorphophallus rivieri – mimickery,
Hoodia gordonii – milkweed plant, attractive due to smell
Stapelia variegata –
Erica densifolia – narrow flower tubes,
Galanthus nivalis – bee pollination, niche operator as flower very early in the
season
Paeonia peregrine – in cold weather, the petals close to protect pollinators
and delicate sexual structures
Pleione bulbocodioides -
Echium pininana – flowers build up electrostatic field and this can be picked
up by the bee, bee can sense the strength of the field
Oenothera biennis – pollination by vespertine
Strelitzia reginae – bird pollination
Lecture 2 – Adaptations to seasonally dry environments:
New World Cacti:
Echinocactus grusonii: Cactasi is a huge plant family of angiosperms. Apart
from one species, all are found in the Americas. All these habitats have a
period of aridity.
Absence of leaves.
Small surface area to volume ratio.
