Reproductive biology of Aechmea bracteata (Sw.) Griseb. (Bromelioideae: Bromeliaceae)

Individuals of Aechmea bracteata show inflorescences with red scape bracts and odourless, yellow, tubular diurnal flowers, with closely arranged sexual organs, producing a large amount of fruits. In order to investigate the reproductive system of this species, a suite of characters was assessed: phenology, floral morphology and biology, nectar production dynamics, and fruit and seed production and germination, as a result of controlled pollination crosses. The study was conducted during two flowering seasons in wild populations in Yucatán, Mexico. Results suggest an annual flowering pattern with one flowering peak; flowers were diurnal, showing partial dichogamy (protandry)-herkogamy, anthers and stigma become mature before floral aperture, which could lead to self-pollination, nectar is produced during anthesis, varying in volume and total sugar concentration during the day; fruits and seeds were produced in all experimental crosses (cross-pollination, obligated cross-pollination, assisted and unassisted selfing, geitonogamy and apomixis), as well as high percentage seed germination. Several species of Aechmea are reportedly self-compatible and autogamous, as suggested by results of selfing and non-assisted selfing crosses, but these results are negated by the presence of apomixis, indicating that the species is apomictic. This is the first report of this breeding system for subgenus Aechmea and the sixth for Bromeliaceae. Polyembryony is here suggested for the first time in this genus and family based on the fact that more seeds were recorded that expected based on ovule numbers. Finally, when performing experimental crosses, estimating reproductive success based on number of seeds is a better approach than number of fruits, due to the effect of pseudogamy.