Pollination Biology of Asarum caudatum (Aristolochiaceae) in Northern California

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Abstract
The flowers of Asarum caudatum Lindl. are protogynous and receptive for cross-pollination for approximately one week. After this period, the anthers dehisce near the stigmas and self-pollination occurs. Based largely on studies of garden plants in Europe, Vogel proposed that this species is allogamous but my observations of eight populations in northern California indicate that autogamy predominates because (a) the frequency of flower visitation is extremely low, (b) pollen was found on stigmas of only 8% of female-stage flowers, (c) emasculated flowers set few fruits and seeds compared to controls (fruit set: 20 vs. 99%; seed set: 5 vs. 67%), and (d) fruit and seed sets of bagged flowers were equivalent to those of controls. Fly eggs and larvae were present in some flowers in each population but I found no evidence to support Vogel''s hypothesis that mating and ovipositing fungus gnats pollinate this species.

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