While pollination by deception (e.g.,
mimicking carrion) and thermogenesis
have been well documented, the reproductive
success of Helicodiceros muscivorus
has been poorly studied. On a survey
of seven populations, ranging from 4 to
300 individuals, Fridlender (2000) observed
that the proportion of flowering individuals
varied from 17 to 75% (46 6 24%) and the
fructification rate from 33 to 85% (60 6
21%). He noted that flowering individuals
tended to be taller and that larger individuals
produced larger infructescences (Fridlender,
2000). We here present data on the reproductive success in one population
of Helicodiceros muscivorus on Corsica.
The main objective is to study the relationships
between plant vigor or size and the
pollination success in this deceptive pollinated
aroid species. More precisely we
ask: i) Are the size and number of
inflorescences produced by H. muscivorus
related to plant vigor or size? ii) Is the
pollination success related to inflorescence
size and/or plant vigor? iii) Is the
availability of pollinators limited in the
studied populations?