Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Experimentos de cruzamentos recíprocos como ferramenta para avaliar o isolamento reprodutivo numa zona de hibridação natural da família Orchidaceae Juss

2015; Volume: 14; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.7594/revbio.14.01.03

1984-5154

Tiago Manuel Zanfra de Melo e Gouveia, Fábio Pinheiro,

Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Hybrids are individuals formed when reproductive barriers between closely related species aren’t totally established, and individuals from different species cross. Hybridization is remarkably common in some genus within the Orchidaceae family. On Serra dos Orgaos, Rio de Janeiro, two sister species from the genus Epidendrum: E. secundum Jacq e E. xanthinum Lindl occur sympatrically. Individuals with intermediate traces, supposedly hybrids, also occur. In this work, we evaluate the hypothesis of hybridization between these two species and the intensity of their reproductive isolation. It was possible to detect hybridization using experiments of reciprocal pollination. The low reproductive success observed on hybrid individuals plays a major role as a barrier that promotes reproductive isolation strong enough to maintain these two species apart.