Abstract
Flowering plants commonly exhibit both asexual and sexual modes of reproduction. Sexual reproduction relies on the transfer of pollen, often facilitated by insect-pollinators. Spring ephemerals emerge briefly at the beginning of spring before the canopy returns and share a close phenology with their insect-pollinators. As a result, changes in emergence behavior have the potential to affect spring ephemeral reproductive success. We examined the pollination ecology of the spring ephemeral Dicentra cucullaria, studying their reliance on a specialized-insect pollinator, queen bumblebees. We performed hand crosses to determine self incompatibility, clonal spread, and influence of repeated pollinator visitation. We also observed the behavior of bumblebee queens as they foraged in our plots. Our results suggest that D. cucullaria is mostly self-incompatible and that flowers experienced heightened seed production when crossed with sires at increasing distances beyond proximally located stems. Our crosses did not indicate that repeated pollinator visitation influenced fruit formation, but we found that younger flowers exhibited a higher probability of fruit formation. By observing foraging bumblebee queens, we found that most flights between flowers were under 300cm, and on the majority of floral visits the queen retrieved nectar from 1-3 flowers per visit to inflorescence. The results of the sire distance crosses in this context suggest that bumblebee queens are effective pollinators of D. cucullaria. Our research suggests that successful D. cucullaria sexual reproduction tends to rely on outcrossing facilitated by bumblebee queens. With this in mind, temporal mismatch can arise due to shifting conditions under a changing climate, threatening the stability of this spring ephemeral population. Examining the pollination ecology of spring ephemerals can give insight into their preservation in the face of climate change.
Advisor
Ison, Jennifer
Department
Biology
Recommended Citation
Palaski, Paul A., "Pantaloon Propagation: examining the pollination ecology of a clonal spring ephemeral wildflower Dicentra cucullaria" (2026). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 13531.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/13531
Keywords
pollination, ecology, spring ephemerals, bumblebees, dicentra cucullaria, dutchmans breeches
Publication Date
2026
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2026 Paul A. Palaski