Winter flowering orchids: their ecology and conservation

Research Project

Project/Area Number	16K07236
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Conservation of biological resources
Research Institution	Kumamoto University
Principal Investigator	Sugiura Naoto 熊本大学, 大学院先端科学研究部(理), 准教授 (50304986)
Project Period (FY)	2016-10-21 – 2019-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
Budget Amount *help	¥3,120,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥720,000) Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000) Fiscal Year 2017: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000) Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Keywords	保全管理 / ミツバチ媒花 / 冬咲き / だまし受粉 / 自生地保全 / 受粉 / ラン科 / 保全 / 花生態 / ラン / 花粉媒介昆虫 / 花形態 / 稔実率 / 在来種保全 / 絶滅危惧種
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Floral biology and pollination mechanisms of two endangered orchids, Cymbidium dayanum and Liparis elliptica, were investigated in south Kyushu, Japan. Fall-winter blooming flowers of C. dayanum exclusively depend on workers of the Japanese honeybee Apis cerana japonica. This finding explicitly indicates the bee pollination niche could be available to temperate plant species even during mid-winter in temperate climate. Flowering during the cold season may be advantageous, in terms of increasing honeybee availability, reducing competition among co-blooming plants for honeybees, warding off undesirable flower visitors and extending the floral lifespan. Only a single phorid fly was recorded as flower visitors of L. elliptica. Based on the findings of the present study, we provided some information useful for conservation management of the orchids.
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	温帯産の冬咲き植物(ヘツカラン)の花であっても、ハナバチを利用することで受粉をおこなうことが可能なことを、花の形態機能、訪花昆虫相と各種の訪花行動、稔実率（＝受粉成功度）の観点から、具体的かつ詳細なデータをもとに明示したこと。また、開花から受粉を経て稔実へと至る有性生殖の過程を明らかにすることで、絶滅が危惧されているラン科植物2種の自生地保全に関して有用な情報をいくつか得たこと。