ArticleOecologia2013
Multifunctional bracts enhance plant fitness during flowering and seed development in Rheum nobile (Polygonaceae), a giant herb endemic to the high Himalayas.
Article in Oecologia, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers.
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43 citing papers in PubMed, 92 citations in OpenAlex.
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- Calyx and Corolla as Heliocaminiform Structures Enhance the Reproductive Adaptation ofEcology and evolution · 2025Article
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- Investigating the Variation in Leaf Traits Within thePlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Cushion Presence and Species Pools Mitigate the Effect of Climate on Species Richness in Alpine Communities.Research (Washington, D.C.) · 2025Article
- Stamens enclosed by petals inFrontiers in plant science · 2025Article
- A CC-NB-ARC-LRR Gene Regulates Bract Morphology in Cotton.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2024Article
- Patterns and drivers of plant sexual systems in the dry-hot valley region of southwestern China.Plant diversity · 2024Article
- Ecosystem engineers can regulate resource allocation strategies in associated plant species.Frontiers in plant science · 2024Article
- Pseudanthia in angiosperms: a review.Annals of botany · 2023Review
- Multi-omics data provide insight into the adaptation of the glasshouse plant Rheum nobile to the alpine subnival zone.Communications biology · 2023Article
- The genome of the glasshouse plant noble rhubarb (Rheum nobile) provides a window into alpine adaptation.Communications biology · 2023Article
- Does pollinator dependence decrease along elevational gradients?Plant diversity · 2023Article
- Persistent calyces increase floral longevity and female fitness inAoB PLANTS · 2022Article
- The Potential Roles of Unique Leaf Structure for the Adaptation ofPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Pantranscriptome combined with phenotypic quantification reveals germplasm kinship and regulation network of bract color variation inFrontiers in plant science · 2022Article
- Global warming pushes the distribution range of the two alpine 'glasshouse'Frontiers in plant science · 2022Article
- Pollination adaptations of group-by-group stamen movement in a meadow plant with temporal floral closure.Plant diversity · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Specialized bracts are thought to be important for the successful reproduction of some plants and are regarded as adaptations to diverse driving forces. However, few empirical studies have quantified the adaptive significance of bracts within a cost-benefit framework. We explored the adaptive significance of large and showy bracts for reproduction in Rheum nobile, a giant herb endemic to the high Himalayas. We examined whether the bracts enhance reproductive success during flowering and seed development. Bracts increased flower and fruit temperature on sunny days, greatly decreased the intensity of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation reaching flowers and fruits, and prevented pollen grains being washed away by rain. Experiments indicated that high temperature could promote pollen germination, while pollen grains exposed to rain and UV-B radiation at ambient levels were seriously damaged. Furthermore, bract removal decreased the number of pollinators visiting flowers. When bracts were removed before or after flowering, fecundity and progeny quality were adversely affected, but seed predation by larvae of pollinators decreased. A cost-benefit analysis demonstrated that the cost of bracts, i.e., increased seed predation, is modest. Our results suggest that the bracts of R. nobile promote pollen germination, protect pollen grains from rain and intense UV-B radiation, enhance pollinator visitation during flowering, and facilitate the development of fertilized ovules during seed development. We conclude that multifunctional bracts of R. nobile are an effective adaptive strategy in alpine environments and might have been selected for because of abiotic environmental conditions as well as for enhancing pollination success.
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